The Date
by SkyStrider
Summary: Kasumi and Tofu have managed to do the impossible - they have drawn off all the rivals and suitors of Ranma and Akane, allowing the couple to go on their first date. However, they are still Ranma and Akane and chaos always follows in their wake despite the extraordinary precautions. Come join them as they learn about themselves and each other...Follows "Say 'Yes' to the Dress"
1. The Beginning

The usual disclaimer: Ranma ½ is a trademark of Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ Communications, and its characters have been borrowed without permission. This story was written for non-commercial purposes only. I do claim the characters of Shizuka, Hideo, Daran, Augustus, Mr. Roth (all of them), and Tomo (if you want to borrow them, you only have to ask – just common courtesy after all).

Welcome to another installment of Bindings. Usually all the stories in Bindings are meant to be stand-alone, but this one follows "Say 'Yes' to the Dress" very closely, so you may want to read that story first – or at least the character points listed in the first chapter. You can always check my profile for more details too. This story starts one week after "Say 'Yes' to the Dress", so it's now mid-June.

One other thing - to simplify the story, we only follow what happens to Ranma and Akane on their First Date. If you want to find out what happened to Kuno and the Fiancee Brigade, as well as the rest of the Ranma cast on this magical night, that's another story. Keep an eye out for it...it too will be published.

* * *

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Akane looked at the girl – no, woman – in Nabiki's mirror. The person was of medium height with blue-black hair and large brown eyes. She wore a black evening dress that accentuated every curve of her athletic frame. The dress had a daring slit up one side that displayed a shapely leg. The neckline was cut to show a generous swell of upper breasts while still holding everything well in place. The rest of the dress flowed across a flat stomach and smoothly over the wearer's hips looking all the world like black dragon-scale armor, matching her physique very well and making her look like a warrior princess. The face of the young woman had a light application of make-up accenting her cheek bones and emphasizing the new maturity her face had gained by losing its baby fat over the last year.

"Oh Akane! You are absolutely beautiful!" Kasumi said with a catch in her voice.

Nabiki had to agree. "Not bad little sister; not bad at all. If Kuno saw you now, he'd be too stunned to spout any bad poetry."

Akane snorted. "I don't care about Kuno. It's Ranma I want stunned."

"Ranma? He'll be on his knees cursing himself for postponing the wedding," Sayuri threw out. Yuka laughed naughtily in agreement.

Ms. Hinako was bouncing around the room in her child form. "Actually, he'll be lucky Doctor Ono will be there to treat him after he passes out."

"Which is good," Akane grinned. "I don't want him to have any excuse to skip out on this date."

Kasumi chided her then, "Stop that, Akane, and give the guy a little credit. This was his idea after all."

Akane had to admit that was true enough (something that filled her with glee). She thought back nearly two weeks ago to when Ranma asked her…

* * *

Akane lay on her bed with a book in front of her and watched Ranma enter her room with curiousity (and some fondness). He had just knocked and asked to come in. She thought it might to be to work on homework together. They often did that, even before they admitted how they felt about each other. She had to laugh to herself about that – even when they said they hated each other, they were practically joined at the hip. Sometimes Kami-Sama definitely had a sense of humor.

Anyway, he didn't have his books with him, and he looked a little nervous. He had his hands partially clasp and held up in front of chest. He was also tapping two fingers together, and there was a slight blush on his face. Akane decided he looked absolutely adorable. Whatever favor he was about to ask, she already knew she was going to agree to it. She might try and get something in exchange for it though. Maybe get him to take her to the fair next week on his yen. She loved these pseudo-dates – it was the closest she could get to real one without the Fiancée Brigade getting in the way. Honestly! How many cases of hypothermia did they have to catch from Ranma's cold shoulder (a bit more than figuratively) before they got the hint?

"Umm…Akane?" the young man asked.

"Yes, Ranma?" she answered with a very deliberate flutter of the eyelashes. Her victim blushed a little more. Hmmm… maybe she'd draw this out a little; this was fun.

The blue-eyed boy began tapping his foot. "Are you doing anything Saturday? Not this coming Saturday, but the following one?"

The young lady didn't have to fake interest. This was slightly new. He had suggested mutual activities in the past, but in a far more nonchalant manner. She quickly thought about the coming two weeks. There was nothing that allowances could not be made for. "I think I have that day free. What did you have in mind? Is there a tournament you'd like to see?" Oh yes, don't forget to flutter the eyelashes again.

"No, not a tournament. And I wasn't thinking about the whole day. More like just the evening," he answered.

"Oh?" More eyelash work and make the smile slightly bigger. Oh look, he just dragged his right leg behind his left and the right foot was still tapping slightly. She decided to see if she could get him to place a hand behind the neck next. Akane thought the action should be worth 30 points if she could get him to pull it off. She began to stretch languidly as if getting the kinks out of her back, pushing her chest out towards him.

He began stuttering, but didn't move the hand yet. "W-we –ell, I was thinking maybe we could go out for dinner."

"Dinner?" she asked confused. "Anywhere in particular? Surely not Ukyo's or the Cat Café?" she added with a small frown, losing track of the game for a moment.

A look of panic appeared on his face. "No, no!" His hands came apart and he was shaking them at her. "I was thinking somewhere without interference."

"Without interference? And how's that going to work?" she asked.

"Well, I was talking with Tofu and he had a few suggestions for shaking everyone. I thought it might really work."

"Talk to Tofu?" she said out loud. Then a light went on in Akane's brain. The game (or rather Game) came back to the forefront of Akane's mind. It only happened once in a couple's relationship and she wanted the whole pie. Her eyes went very wide as she artfully asked, "I'm sorry, Ranma, but I'm not sure what you're asking..."

"Well…" Ranma started as his hand went behind his neck (30 points!), "I was thinking maybe dinner and…maybe some dancing?" he asked shyly.

Akane's higher functions stopped for a second, then restarted as she said "Dancing?"

"Y-yeah-h" the shape-shifter stuttered again. "We had a little in school, but you and I are fast learners. I'm sure we could figure it out from those around us…"

Actually, Akane knew how to dance very well. She was sure Ranma's cat-like grace would allow him to keep up. She was delighted at Ranma's courage (finally!), but there was one word she wanted him to say: "What type of restaurant, Ranma?"

"Well, I was thinking of maybe an Italian restaurant…I've heard of one with a DJ and a dance floor," he said a little smoother. The hand came off his neck.

She fluttered her eyelashes and faked a shy look at him again. "Oh my, that sounds fancy. Wouldn't we have to get dressed up a bit?"

The smoothness vanished again at her look. The blush was back on his face. "Well, yeah," he answered. "But, we could do that and make a real date of it." His hands were tented in front of his chest, and he was bouncing his finger tips together again.

Bingo! "Date." Akane got her word. It was time to let him off the hook, and maybe a small reward was in order. She got up off her bed with a gentle smile on her lips, so as not to scare off the nervous lad. "Why that sounds wonderful, Ranma! I accept." With that, she went over and kissed him on the cheek. Ranma's eyes widened nicely and his face took on a look of wonder. Akane had to suppress a giggle at that. She had seen the "deer-in-the-headlights" look on other males with girlfriends, but had almost given up on seeing it on Ranma's face. The young man was always too sure of himself for that – until now. She watched him for a minute. He was just too cute with the stunned look on his face. Oh well, dinner was soon. She kissed his cheek a little more firmly which seemed to bring him around slightly. "I need to change, Ranma. Why don't you head downstairs, and I'll be down shortly."

Ranma nodded and turned to leave, but seemed confused by the door. Akane laughed quietly, and then opened the door for him. Her knight in shining armor walked out without another word. She closed the door and listened to him go slowly down the stairs. Then she counted to 100. "Nope. Still excited," she thought. She counted to 100 again. "Ah, the heck with it!" she thought and beat her feet quickly on floor in a victory dance. "Yes!" she exalted. "A date with Ranma. A real date!"

* * *

Ranma waited nervously downstairs with his entourage. Daisuke and Hiroshi were watching the mighty Saotome sweat waiting for his date. Soun and Genma were playing Go again, but Soun kept glancing toward the stairs, giving Genma lots of time to cheat. Nodoka was fussing over Ranma to make sure Akane's first sight of him was memorable. Doctor Tofu was trying to distract Nodoka and give Ranma a break. Ranma looked at the clock on the wall. The car would be here in ten minutes to take the couple to the restaurant. Where was Akane? What was that Tomboy up to? "STOP!" he said to himself. "I will not utter that word this entire date." He repeated everything the Doc had said to him: "Always keep in mind the goal is to make Akane happy. Do not let anything distract me from that goal. No challenges, no showboating. Ignore incidental occurrences. There will be allies about, let them take care of it. Concentrate on Akane – I only get one First Date with her. Slips of the tongue will occur. Apologize for yours and be forgiving of hers."

He sighed to himself. Now he knew how Hiroshi felt. Ranma would have to make it up to Hiroshi for all the ribbing Ranma gave him when Hiroshi took Yuka out. Ah, who was he kidding? Hiroshi was going to get even tonight. Ranma knew he was not a suave Casanova. This was not a fight or a battle as it had been with Shampoo; he was definitely out of his element. Still, Ranma was determined to go through with it. He really liked – oh, all right – loved the Tomboy ("Cut it out!"). He would make her happy one way or another.

Ranma's mind continued to wander as his mother fussed at his suit, even though the cut was perfect. The tailor the guys had dragged him to last weekend had been an expert. Tofu had made sure the bill was sent to Genma, something that sent the panda up in flames. However, whenever Genma tried to say something, Nodoka began caressing her katana, which caused him to shut up quickly. Ranma's mother really wanted this date to go off without a hitch. Ranma was sure she was planning something herself, but Tofu had told Ranma not to worry about it – just take care of Akane.

Finally, a door upstairs opened and the ladies trooped down the stairs. Ms. Hinako was first, practically bouncing down the stairs. Kasumi was next and was wearing her ever-present smile. Sayuri and Yuka followed, grinning mischievously at Ranma. Sayuri made a slashing gesture across her throat with her finger when she looked at Ranma while Yuka seemed to be mouthing the words "Night, night." Ranma's will harden at that. There was no way he was going to pass out like Hiroshi done. Nor was he going to burst blood from the nose like Ryoga. He was Ranma Saotome after all. It didn't matter if Akane came down the stairs naked. He would just tell Akane she looked absolute beautiful, and keep his composure.

Nabiki was the last down the stairs with her well known smirk. She waited until the other ladies had made their way into the room, and then addressed everyone: "Ladies and Gentlemen: It gives me great pleasure to present Miss Akane Tendo." Akane stepped gracefully down the stairs and Ranma's brain froze solid. She had looked beautiful in her wedding dress, but her appearance now easily rivaled that. The girl he knew was gone, replaced by this perfect woman in dragon-scale armor before him.

"Breathe, dummy!" Ranko's voice sounded in his head. Ranma worked on that.

"C'mon, don't lock the knees," another voice hissed inside his head.

"Let's hear it for multiple personalities," Ranma thought as he brought himself under control. He still couldn't get his mouth to work though. It just hung open uselessly. Behind him, he heard Tofu whistle, which was cut off by an elbow in the ribs from Kasumi. There was a crash as Daisuke hit the ground. He couldn't see Hiroshi staring resolutely at Yuka, determined not to wreck his own date.

The parents in the room were reacting for different reasons. Ranma heard a second crash as the Go board hit the ground and Soun staggered to his feet, watching his dead wife's re-incarnation stand before him. Ranma could see from the corner of his eye that Nodoka had brought her hands to her face and was staring at her daughter-in-law-to-be in surprise and a little awe murmuring: "She looks just like her." Genma was quickly re-evaluating his plans, deciding how he would get around Kimiko re-born.

Ranma could see Akane was not paying attention to anyone else in the room. She was staring at Ranma fearfully. Ranma began to panic. Fear? Why was she afraid? Then it hit him – he hadn't moved. She was afraid of his reaction because he hadn't given any. Looking in her eyes, he could see all her insecurities rising up. "NO!" he silently screamed at himself. "I WILL NOT BLOW THIS!" But, he couldn't speak. He could breathe, but he couldn't move his mouth.

"Then move something else!" his split-companion voices shot back at him.

Ranma Saotome got it then. He moved forward and dropped to one knee gracefully and bowed his head to the elegant woman. Now that he was no longer looking directly at her, his brain started up again and he could see the humor in the situation. Following that thought, he spoke in over-blown tones: "My dear lady, never have I seen anyone as beautiful and stunning as you." He raised his head and focused on her eyes, ignoring the rest of her and letting his feelings for her show in his gaze. Her eyes lost their insecure look as she tried to figure out if he was teasing her. Before she could get angry, he let a small gentle smile show and said quietly to her so only she would hear: "I meant that."

That got her. She began to smile gently in return, so he figured it was safe to rise again. As he got up, she threw herself into his arms. He returned the hug and heard her whisper fondly "Idiot." As he whispered reassurances into her ear, Ranma congratulated himself on surviving the first hurdle.


	2. The Chauffeur

Chapter 2: The Chauffeur

Ranma and Akane stood at the bottom of the stairs talking to each other quietly while holding hands. They were exchanging compliments, blushing a little, and ignoring everyone else. Kasumi was watching them fondly until Tofu tapped her on the shoulder and then tapped his watch. She sighed, and then walked over to interrupt the couple. "I'm sorry to break up your conversation, but the limo is coming and you need to be in place," she said. Akane and Ranma blushed but nodded. Kasumi led them to the back door that opened towards the dojo. She took out two sets of blindfolds and handed one to each of them. "Now, your eyes will be useless, so you'll have to use your blind fighting skills."

Akane rolled her eyes. "We know, Kasumi," she told her big sister. "We also need to keep the Umisen-Ken on. We will meet you and Tofu two blocks up. Just like we practiced."

"All right Akane, so I'm a little nervous. I'm not used to this cloak and dagger stuff," Kasumi said as she hugged Akane. Then she turned to Ranma and tapped him on the forehead. "You. You better take good care of my little sister, or it will be bread and water for three months. Do you understand?"

Ranma could see that Kasumi was not fully serious, but the key words were 'not fully'– she was somewhat worried since she was serving as the "Mom", so he answered seriously: "Yes, ma'am. I promise."

The eldest sister took him at his word and let the matter drop. "All right, put on the blindfolds and hold hands as we practiced. I'll tell you when to start."

Kasumi watched her surroundings. Behind her, she heard Daisuke call out, "Fire in the hole!"

"Get ready," she said, partially closing her own eyes. Then the dojo grounds lit up, blinding everyone. "Go," she urged without yelling. Akane and Ranma vanished. "Good luck."

* * *

Ranma and Akane ran out the dojo gate without making a sound and immediately turned right, running away from the limousine. They were conscious of another flash lighting up the grounds with a soft "whuff" sound, but the blindfolds protected their eyes. They had already turned the corner beyond the property before the third flash fired. There was a squealing of tires tearing away in the other direction. They both took off their blindfolds and continued running. They had just reached the next block when they heard the cries:

"NO!"

"AIREN!"

"BELOVED! COME BACK"

"I WILL RESCUE YOU, MY FIERCE TIGERESS!"

Ranma scooped up Akane and leapt the nearest wall. He and Akane landed in the empty yard and listened for pursuit while still maintaining the Umisen-ken. They heard the voices of their pursuers receding into the distance. Akane cocked an eyebrow at Ranma who only shrugged. They moved into the shadows and dropped the Umisen-Ken while Akane took off the slippers she was wearing and put on her dress shoes.

She was about to whisper something to Ranma when he put a finger to her lips. Silently, he pointed at a figure that had just entered the yard from the street. As they watched quietly, a young man pulled out a bicycle hidden in the bushes near the entrance and got on. He then left the undiscovered couple and cycled away. The couple looked at each other, indicating that they both had recognized the teenager. Ranma and Akane joined hands again, invoked the Umisen-Ken and slowly left the property via the entrance the young man had used. There were no traps or ambushes waiting for them.

They walked another block and waited in the shadows near a bus stop. About five minutes later, a small blue car pulled up to the bus stop. They watched Tofu get out and open the back door. Silently they went into the back seat, and Ranma pulled the door shut, breaking the Umisen-Ken (fortunately, Tofu had disabled the interior light). Tofu then climbed in and drove off. Kasumi was in the front seat with the Doctor.

"Any problems?" Tofu asked.

"We ran into a slight delay – Gosunkugi had hidden a bicycle in the neighbor's yard. We had to wait for him to leave," Ranma replied.

"Did he see you?" Kasumi asked with concern.

"He didn't act like it," Akane told her.

"Would he have any reason to try and follow you?" Tofu asked.

"He once had a crush on Akane, but he's been behaving himself since the wedding," Ranma told him.

"I didn't know that," Akane said. Ranma dug his fingers into his thigh to keep from saying anything. Tofu looked at Ranma in the mirror, silently urging him to keep his mouth shut.

"Hmmm…" Tofu sounded thoughtful. "Well," he said. "I don't feel we are being followed, so we'll keep going. Let's go meet your ride."

* * *

A number of blocks away from the dojo, a town car sat idling. A tall man wearing a weathered leather jacket and an old beat up hat leaned against the car. A whip hung at his side. Except for his dark skin, the man could have stepped out of "Raiders of the Lost Ark." He was alternating between checking his watch and looking toward the direction of the Tendo dojo.

"Let's go Tofu, you always start these parties late," he said to himself in an American accent.

Suddenly, the sky lit up soundlessly three times and he heard a car peel off in the distance. The man grinned to himself. "About time, my friend." With that, he reached up and gave his hat a quarter twist. A shorter Chinese gentleman now stood in his place, wearing an impeccable chauffeur's suit. He walked a little toward the dojo and waited about fifteen minutes. Finally, the disguised man watched a car pulled up next to him. Four people got out of the car. The tallest was a man in his 30's with a long pony tail.

"Any trouble, Daran?" Tofu asked.

"Nothing unusual, Fox," Daran answered in flawless Japanese.

Tofu nodded. Kasumi was next to him. Daran had met her at the clinic earlier that day along with Mouse, Olaf, and Ciren. Kasumi stared at Daran. "Daran? Is that you?"

"Yes, my lady. Not a bad disguise, is it?"

"I suppose not," Kasumi said. "Is it really necessary?"

"Probably," he answered. "It always helps to confuse the enemy."

"And your friends," added Tofu with a roll of the eyes. Daran just grinned at him. Tofu waved his other two companions forward. "Daran, please meet my friends Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo. This is the young couple that needs a little quiet time."

Daran looked at the two teenagers. The young lady was very pretty, and the dress she wore highlighted her athletic frame nicely. The young gentleman was also rather good-looking and the dark grey suit he wore accented his build as well. Both of them were obviously martial artists and shined with enough mage energy that Daran could easily deduce that they belonged to the higher class of martial artists that Nerima seemed to produce. In fact, their auras were bright and complex enough that Daran made a note to talk to Tofu or Hideo tomorrow – both teenagers needed some "Other" training as soon as possible, but that wasn't on tonight's agenda. The couple bowed politely to Daran, a gestured he returned.

"Do you have the directions to the restaurant?" Ranma asked.

"I do, young sir," Daran replied.

"Ah… just Ranma will do."

"No, it won't sir. The first rule of undercover work is that it's no good to be only partially in disguise. For tonight, you will address me as 'Chauffeur'. I will address you as 'Sir' and you," he said as he turned to Akane, "as 'Madam'. Also, the interior of the car is split into a front and back to give you privacy. You are to pay attention to each other. If you try to address me other than to give me a direction, I will ignore you. Do you understand?" The couple nodded reluctantly. "Good. We can be friends tomorrow. Tonight you are on a date." With that he walked back to the car and opened the rear door. "Let us be off then," he said.

* * *

Ranma and Akane looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders at the same time. Ranma then took Akane's hand and escorted her to the car. After checking the interior of the car (necessary because the rear windows were heavily tinted), he helped her in and climbed in himself. Daran (or rather, the Chauffeur) closed the door behind them. Akane immediately noticed that the town car was much longer than standard. There was a dark glass partition just out of reach. Ranma leaned forward and slid open the partition. No one was in the front seat since the Chauffeur was talking to Tofu and Kasumi. The young man did note using the reflection in the driver's rear view mirror that the glass was opaque in both directions. Akane was checking that the door locks worked manually. Ranma moved back to sit beside her while saying: "The car seems to be shielding aura detection as well. I cannot pick up the three of them outside the car. I bet they cannot sense us either." At that, the couple looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"It's official," Akane said. "We are the most paranoid people on the planet."

Ranma chuckled. "It's not like we aren't justified. But we might as well try and relax."

Akane opened a cooler just before the partition and passed a ginger ale to Ranma. She took a lemon soda for herself. "Hey, there's chocolate in here too."

"Well, pass it out, Tom- pretty lady."

"What was that, Ranma?" Her eyes had a gleam in them that Ranma found attractive and dangerous at the same time.

He stuttered slightly covering his tracks further: "D-Did I say 'pretty'? I meant 'gorgeous', 'stunning', 'extremely attractive'."

Mollified, Akane settled back into the seat next to him and tossed him a chocolate. "I'll let you live this time, shape-shifter. By the way," she said looking at him from the corner of her eyes, "you look pretty good too."

Ranma settled back himself and began to repeat the rules Tofu hammered into him again in his head.

* * *

Akane glanced out the corner of her eye. "All right," she thought to herself, "he looks better than 'pretty good.' And what was with the 'I'll let you live this time' bit? If you want him to think of you other than a Tomboy, try acting other than a Tomboy. He's making an effort, you should be matching him."

"You wanted him stunned; you got stunned. Then you almost got upset that he was stunned. Thank heavens he had the wit to break eye contact or you would have run back upstairs to your room," she scolded herself. "You know he can be a really nice person when nobody's insulting him or challenging him. You also know he's really shy about expressing his feelings. Do you love him or not? If so, CUT HIM SOME SLACK!"

She leaned forward a retrieved two more pieces of chocolate. She smiled at him as she tossed him one and watched the tension flow out of him. There was a knock on the glass in front of them. Ranma looked at Akane and she gestured to him. Taking the hint, he opened the glass to see Daran looking back at them. "All set?"

"Yep," Ranma answered back.

"Good. We will be taking a little detour here and there to make sure we are not being followed."

"How little a detour?"

"We're swinging by the Diet."

Ranma's eyebrow shot up. "That's not that little of a detour."

"It will be fine. Trust me," Daran said with a wink. Then he slid the glass back.

"Where are we going, Ranma?" Akane asked.

"Akasaka," he said.

The young lady also raised an eyebrow at that. "It's going to take all night to get there by car."

Ranma shrugged. "That's what I said to Tofu when we set up the timetable. He just said 'Trust me'."

"This should be interesting," Akane said. "Sometimes I think there's more to Tofu than meets the eye." Ranma said nothing in response. The car pulled out onto the street and began to make rapid progress.

Both of them looked out the windows as streets rolled by, occasionally pointing out something to the other. The ride was very smooth. Neither of them felt the road much. Akane thought it was pleasant enough, but something was missing from the date experience. Suddenly, the car took a sharp turn that caused Akane to slide toward Ranma. Ranma turned quickly to catch and steady her. As his arms slid around her, Akane figured it out. She quickly caught his hands to prevent them from releasing her and settled back against him. She felt him relax and pull her a little closer. She turned to look out the same window he was, resting her head on his shoulder. Much better.

They continued like that for a few minutes when she caught him in the window's reflection flashing a sudden grin. Quickly, he scooped her up and re-settled her on his lap. "Sorry," he said. "This is a little more comfortable for me. Now I'm not all twisted about."

She raised an eyebrow at his statement, and then settled her head against his shoulder again, snuggling in once more. Admittedly, she was no longer twisting her neck to look out the same window he was. However, she could see his smug grin in the window reflection. She had been in his arms a number of times before, especially since he admitted he loved her, so she knew Ranma felt on safe ground. "Well," she thought, "I can't let him win quite that easily, but I'm certainly not going to complain either. Let see, what shall I do… Ah, I have it." She raised her head and kissed him on the cheek. Once more, a look of wonder crept across his face, causing her to giggle softly. "This is going to be a lot of fun…" she thought as they held each other tightly looking out the car window. She couldn't wait for his counter move – once he came back to Earth.

* * *

Ranma felt like his brain was lost in a whirlwind. How did she do this to him? It was just a kiss on the cheek for crying out loud! Shampoo had tried to shoved her tongue down his throat a number of times, and the Amazon never had an effect on him like Akane's chaste kiss. Did she know what it did to him? She might. She could be doing this to him just to amuse herself. A bit of one-up-man ship to get back at him for something – maybe for dragging her into his lap (or for being smug about it, a part of himself scolded). But if that was the case, why was she snuggling into him? Granted, they had done a lot of snuggling when no one was about since that trip to Akari's farm. (1) He liked holding her or when she snuck up behind him and gave him a hug. It felt … well, it felt nice. Like she just wanted to be here with him and she would be content if they just held each other forever.

Then there was that giggle. She often made it when they sat on the couch watching TV together. It sort of sounded like amusement at his expense, but he would battle anyone, anytime to hear that sound again. It sounded happy, and somehow he was responsible for it. After all the trouble he brought into her life, he made her happy…

"I have it bad," he thought. He was honest enough to admit that to himself. He did want to marry the blue-black haired girl when he grew up. He just wanted to get there one day at a time. On the other hand, Akane wasn't in a rush either. She went through with the wedding to get him the cure to his curse. Granted she had told him later that it would always take more than a magic cure for her get married – the implications of which had left him stunned and her giggling again. Still, she wasn't in a hurry.

However, it was becoming obvious that she did want to see some progress and she needed reassurance that he loved her, something Ranma wasn't good at ("but I'm trying!"). Hence, he was determined to "court her", even if he didn't know how. Part of him wanted to see progress too – especially the part in control of his dreams. Sometimes, he woke up disappointed she wasn't there besides him. Other times, he was very happy that she couldn't read his mind though – he didn't want her to have a reason to start yelling "Pervert!" again.

As the whirlwind slowed, his thoughts began to get a little bolder. After all, she had started the kissing. Surely she wouldn't mind if he returned the favor? There had been a number of moments in the last month when he was sure they were going to kiss, only to be interrupted by someone. Sometimes, the person (like Kasumi or his Mom) would wince and try to back-up quickly, but the mood was broken. Other times, the person (like Mr. Tendo) would be completely oblivious and start chatting with them. Then there was his Father – Ranma sighed at the memory. "Why couldn't I be an orphan?" Ranma thought.

Right now, they were in the back seat of a limo, surrounded by dark glass. He had a very happy young woman sitting in his lap. No time like the present. Ranma raised his hand and began to stroke her upper back exposed by the dress and the back of her neck under her hair. He then learned that girls can purr when they want to. Having successfully tested the waters, he began to gently knead her neck muscle which had the result of raising her head to look at him. Her eyes were full of contentment, wonder, and a little mischief, which reassured him greatly. He began to duck his head towards her…

And the damn car stopped and shut off, surprising them both.

"ARRGGHHH!" his brain went silently.

* * *

Daran hopped out of the car in a parking area about three blocks from the National Diet. He was right to arrange this transfer. Something was wrong. Somehow, someway, he had picked up more than two passengers. Since he was who he was, that meant the other passenger was talented one way or another. He opened the door and saw the couple sitting close to each other. Their flushed look and the aura of frustration from both of them made him wince internally as he read the situation at a glance. "Just great. I couldn't have driven around the block once or twice?" he thought (Tofu had let him know just how "advanced" the couple was). Never mind, first things first.

"Sorry, Sir and Madam. We are being followed and we need to switch cars now. Please come with me," he told them. The couple's eyes flashed in anger and immediately got out from the car. Daran slammed the car door and hit a button on the remote in his pocket. Steel plates dropped vertically from the car's body straight into the ground, sealing in the under-carriage. The sound of steel slamming home echoed from the car at several points.

The young woman spun to look at him. "They are in the car?" she asked.

At Daran's nod, Ranma quickly picked up Akane. "You can't run in those shoes," he told her. Once she nodded her agreement, Ranma looked at Daran: "Let's go. I don't care what you did. You have only bought us sixty seconds at the most."

Daran moved toward a door and the couple followed. "I can turn that into much longer," he said. He went through the door and passed several shiny elevators, until he came to an old service elevator. Daran took a key card out of his pocket and inserted it into an unmarked space between the wall and the frame. The doors sprang partway open and they stepped into a space much smaller than the outside doors suggested. Daran turned to Ranma, "Sir, please put the lady down and both of you hold on tight to the rails." As they did this, he put the keycard into another unmarked space and the doors slammed shut. A small panel slid up, revealing only one button. "Are you ready?" he asked. "This thing moves." The couple tightened their grips on the rails. At their nods, he punched the button and the elevator dropped like a meteor. Air bags expanded from the ceiling and the walls filling in all the available space in the small capsule and blocking the light. There was a roller coaster motion that lasted for fifteen seconds, and then the ride ended with the air bags deflating and folding back into the ceiling. The doors slid open revealing a brightly lit corridor. There were many other hallways feeding into it, and people moved in steady streams through the maze.

* * *

Akane followed Daran out into the corridor. She was glad she hadn't had anything to eat since lunch. She liked roller coasters, but she also liked to psych herself up first. Still, she was a martial artist (no matter how much Ranma teased her) and it took all of three seconds for her to regain her composure. She caught her reflection in a mirror hanging outside the "elevator" and noted that everything was in place despite the wild ride. "Nice trick if you can manage it," she thought. She asked Daran, "Where are we?"

"We are under the Diet right now. Deep under," he answered.

She looked at the Chinese man. "What are you? A secret agent?"

Daran raised a hand to his head and rotated the cap half circle. The Chinese man vanished to be replaced by a tall, dark-skinned man in a sharp black suit wearing a fedora. "Something like that," he answered the wide-eyed couple.

* * *

Daran led the couple over to a desk set along one wall. The female receptionist looked up at him and smiled. "Ah, Mr. Hawk. I was told to expect you."

"It's good to see you again, Ms. Wada," Daran replied.

The woman looked at Akane and Ranma, then spoke: "Mr. Saotome and Miss Tendo, welcome to the National Diet." She handed them each a blue badge with their names and photographs on them – photos that looked suspiciously like their school ID's. "Since you only have Public Security Clearance, please stay in the blue corridors. If you find yourselves in any other color corridor, stop immediately and call for help. Someone will assist you faster than you can imagine." She smiled at that then continued: "Since you are only going to the Motor Pool, this should not be a problem." The stunned couple simply took their badges. She then handed Daran a blue badge as well.

"Only blue?" he inquired with one eyebrow raised.

The woman smiled at him. "You are here on private business…Blue," she stated firmly. "And don't forget to debrief the couple later."

Daran chuckled and thanked her, and then led Ranma and Akane through the blue corridors.

"What did she mean by 'debrief'?" Ranma asked.

"It's well known that every capital in the world has its share of underground complexes," Daran answered. "They are not exactly a secret, but at the same time, you're not suppose to shout about them either. I'm just to remind you to keep somewhat quiet. If anyone asks, just tell them you went in a side door of the Diet to lose the tracker and get a new car from a friend. Really, it isn't that big a deal. Hundreds of outside vendors walk these paths everyday with the same admonishment. Don't let it worry you. If it was a big deal, we wouldn't be here – I only called in a small favor."

"I'm sorry you had to call in a favor for us," Akane said.

Daran shook his head. "Don't be. I owe Fox several large favors. The chance to burn even one of them is a relief to me. Now let's go get a new ride."

As they passed through the corridors, a few people took note of them. One particular woman looked at them in recognition and quietly sighed. Her companion looked at her and asked, "Do you recognize them?"

"Yes," the first woman replied. "They are from my Ward."

"They look like they are on a date," the second commented.

"Yes, they are."

"Here? Who are they that the Government's involved on their date?"

"Trust me. It's a wonder the U.N. Security Council isn't involved so they can have some peace."

* * *

(1) Happened in "Brothers"


	3. Geppetto's

Chapter 3: Geppetto's

The town car pulled up to a large building in the district of Akasaka, not far from the Tokyo Midtown complex. Interestingly enough, it did not stop at the front of the building, but at a much smaller side entrance. The Chauffeur (now Chinese once more) got out of the car and went around to let the waiting couple out. "Sir and Madam? We are here," he told them.

"This is it?" Ranma asked.

"Yes, it is sir. The restaurant serves a rather restricted clientele and prefers to maintain a low profile. It takes 'knowing someone' to get in the door."

"O.K…." Akane said with a raised eyebrow. "So who do we know? And who are we going to run into?"

"I believe Doctor Ono has some of the appropriate connections. As for your second question – there's only one way to find out," the Chauffeur stated, gesturing at the building.

Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "At least this should be interesting. Shall we, my lady?" he said offering his arm.

Akane smiled at Ranma, accepting the gesture. "Yes, sir, we shall."

"Good," their Chauffeur stated while reaching into his coat and pulling out two envelopes. "When you get to the reception desk, just give your names, but before you go, please read these notes the good Doctor gave me to hand to you at just this moment."

Puzzled, each member of the couple took an envelope with the appropriate name on it. Ranma open his and read silently:

_Ranma:_

_Remember the things we talked about. Most important: Be honest and hide nothing. Let there be no more secrets about anything or __**anyone**__ – especially you. Don't assume – ask and discuss. _

_Doc_

Akane also read hers silently:

_Akane:_

_For a tough young woman, you are full of many sensitive emotional spots. So is Ranma. Explore them together. He's willing to learn if you are too. Be patient and courteous. Don't assume – ask and discuss. _

_Doc_

The couple blushed as they finished reading at the same time, and then looked at each other shyly. Ranma thought for a moment, then threw caution to the wind and handed Akane his note. Akane looked startled for a second, then smiled shyly again and handed Ranma her note. They each read the other's note and handed them back, smiling a little more confidently. Ranma once more offered Akane his arm which she accepted, quoting Tofu: "Don't assume…"

Ranma answered: "Ask and discuss." With that, he led them toward the unremarkable door.

"They will do just fine," thought Daran as he climbed back into the car and drove off into the night.

* * *

The couple stepped into a hallway with a carpeted floor and a wood ceiling with recessed lighted panels. The walls were of a burnished metal containing a complex pattern of short lines in vertical and horizontal directions, almost looking random. They walked twenty meters into a small rectangular reception area. At the far end was a reception desk set on a platform about a meter above the floor. A thin man in a grey pinstriped suit with a pencil thin mustache and perfectly groomed hair sat behind the desk looking at a large tome in front of him, occasionally making notes in the book. He did not look up as they entered the area. Ranma looked at Akane, but she only shrugged her shoulders (which Ranma didn't mind as it made the dress move in interesting ways). He returned the shrug and led them to the desk. Immediately in front of the desk was a tall wooden pedestal about a meter or so high that was capped with a glass top. As they stood before the desk, still getting no response, the man's most unusual characteristic struck Ranma – he cast absolutely no aura.

Remembering Tofu's admonishments, Ranma cleared his throat and spoke. "Excuse me, sir," he said with a firm voice. "We are looking for a restaurant by the name of Geppetto's."

The man looked up from his book at the couple. His sharp face briefly looked slightly annoyed, but settled into a condescending mask as he coolly addressed Ranma: "Somehow, sir, I doubt that very much."

Ranma didn't appreciate the look or the tone, but kept his temper. He was determined to behave properly in front of Akane. He spoke firmly once again: "My name is Ranma Saotome. I have a reservation for two at Geppetto's for this evening."

The man flipped through the large book and ran his finger down a page. His eyebrows arched in surprise and then settled again. He looked penetratingly at the young man who stared back fearlessly. He then turned to regard Akane, looking at her eyes. Akane was determined to back up Ranma, returning the stare. "I see," the man spoke evenly looking at Ranma again. "Please place your right hand on the scanner in front of you, Sir"

Akane released Ranma's arm as he placed his hand on the glass-topped pedestal. Immediately the scanner lit up with a vibrant green color, vividly outlining the hand. The man in the pinstriped suit dropped his pen, but gave no other sign of surprise. He nodded at Ranma and then turned to Akane. "Madam, if you would now please do the same?" His voice sounded ten degrees warmer, so Akane raised her hand to the scanner. Again, the glass glowed a brilliant green, causing the man to whisper an oath: "The gods have a lot to account for." For a brief second, Ranma sensed an angry aura flash from the man, only for it to dissipate again into nothingness.

The man's demeanor changed as he stood and pressed a button on his desk. "Yes, Mister Roth?" an electronic tinted voice asked.

"I need someone to take the desk for a few minutes. Geppetto's has two new clients who have just arrived. I need to run through the necessary introductions and show them the way to the restaurant."

"It will be seen to, Mister Roth."

"Thank you." Mister Roth released the intercom button and turned to the couple, speaking very cordially to them. "Please excuse the slight delay, Sir and Madam, but if you follow me we can attend to certain necessities and get you to your table. It will take less than five minutes, but it must happen." He came around to the side of the desk and indicated a side door recessed in the wall near the desk. "Please Sir and Madam?" he asked smoothly. "Much will be explained and I will make it as quick as possible."

Ranma looked at Akane, who shrugged her shoulders once again (to Ranma's private delight), so he led her to the door Mr. Roth opened. Inside was a small sitting room consisting of a couch, a small table with a steaming tea set on it, and a comfortable but unimposing chair. Mr. Roth gestured to the sofa which the couple took, while he settled into the chair and began pouring tea for all three. He took a cup and began speaking after Ranma and Akane accepted their cups. "First off, let me apologize. I am normally not such an ogre, but part of my job is protecting my clients from those who would seek to disturb their privacy. Many times a week, I receive various attempts. A cold shoulder is often the best and easiest resort."

"Is that a big problem?' Akane asked.

"Yes, Lady Tendo, it is here." At the couple's raised eyebrows, Mr. Roth explained: "Your name was listed with Master Saotome's." He then continued: "You see, the clients of Geppetto's and its brother restaurants often live extraordinary lives. Many are known collectively as the 'Others' - they are often the movers and shakers of the world; people very much in the public eye who never seem to get a minute to relax. Besides the 'Others' is a group collectively known as the 'Hunted and the Hunters', a mix of people who must always be on their guard, so much so that they often lose themselves." Ranma sighed at that, and Mr. Roth gave him an understanding smile. Then Mr. Roth concluded: "So they come here, to 'The Complex' where they can be anonymous."

"The Complex?" Ranma asked.

"Yes," Mr. Roth nodded. "Geppetto's, Villa Margarita, Xanadu, The Yellow Submarine, and many others are part of 'The Complex.' Over time, as we see how you handle your privileges and responsibilities, you will be told of the other restaurants and entertainment facilities."

"Responsibilities?" Ranma prompted.

"Yes, Master Saotome, responsibilities. Here, we give you your privacy back. In exchange, while you are in the bounds of The Complex, you must give others their privacy, whether it be your best friend, or your worst enemy. Whatever happens outside The Complex stays outside. Whatever happens in The Complex, stays here."

"And I suppose the first rule of Fight Club is 'You do not talk about Fight Club'?" Akane said with a demure smile.

Mr. Roth actually laughed at that. "Yes, Lady Tendo. You must never mention the names of the various facilities here or the overall existence of The Complex. Geppetto's should be known as that 'Italian place we went to.' Should you meet other customers outside of The Complex and wish to arrange a gathering here, discussions outside these walls should be as vague as possible. People come here for a break. If The Complex becomes public knowledge, that will no longer be possible. We all have a stake in maintaining our privacy. That is your primary responsibility."

"Are there any others?" Akane followed up.

"Just one – the common defense," Mr. Roth said. The young couple perked up at that. "Inside The Complex, we often have people who hate each other, but ignore that for one night in the name of privacy. Should an outside force try to invade our privacy, everyone is expected pitch in and help protect that privacy, even if it means you battle alongside your hated foe. We ask for delay, confusion, and minimal force tactics from all patrons to allow everyone to hide and escape – and to hide the facilities. As you two are Fighters, I again emphasize minimal force. No one should be seriously injured – sending people to the hospital is the surest way to make the news. Besides, the management is strictly pacifistic."

"Is this a common occurrence?" Ranma asked.

"We have to initiate a delay-and-hide scenario about once a year. Rarely do we have to perform an actual defense, but it has happened."

"I see," Ranma said. He looked over at Akane who nodded her head. "I suppose we can live within those rules."

"Excellent! Lord Ono thought you would find the conditions acceptable. I'm please to see he was right. Now, that covers privileges and responsibilities. Let's discuss Protocol." At their nods, Mr. Roth continued: "As I said, people come here for a bit of privacy. However, no man (or woman) is an island, and that applies even here. Sometimes, people like a bit of company or to meet new folks from their peer set. So, the tables are color coded into black and white tables. White tables are near the center of the room and/or near the dance floor. If someone is seated at a white table, anyone may join them and start a friendly non-business, non-political discussion. However, customers at black tables may not be approached except by wait staff, and the wait staff are not allowed to relay messages to black tables. People may switch from a black table to a white table, but you must have a reservation to switch from white to black."

"Easy enough to understand," Ranma stated.

Mr. Roth nodded his head. "One last thing: Let's say you meet someone inside 'The Complex' and strike up a real friendship. Then you run into them outside of The Complex. The proper Protocol is to at least acknowledge each other with a polite smile. If you can talk and wish to, you nod as well. If the other person nods, then you may strike up a conversation. This is also the Protocol on the dance floor where a couple would often rather pay attention to each other rather than their neighbors. Any questions?" Seeing their head shakes, Mr. Roth finished his tea and stood up. "All right, let's get you to your table."

Mr. Roth ushered Akane and Ranma back outside the small conference room, where the couple received a small surprise: Mr. Roth was at the desk again. They both turned to see Mr. Roth smiling from behind. "This is my twin brother, Mr. Roth," the man behind them said. Ranma noted that the new man also gave off no aura.

The second smiled. "Actually, my brother is simplifying things. You'll find our brother, Mr. Roth, checking on the facilities from time to time as well."

"Is your brother also dressed identically as you two are?" Akane asked with a raised eyebrow.

"As a matter of fact, he is," the Mr. Roth behind them answered. "It protects our own privacy. Collectively, we are just known as 'Mr. Roth'. We can switch duties as it pleases us and no one is the wiser."

"And no one can pick a fight with an individual person. They take on all of us or none of us," the second man said. "Now let's show you how to access the facilities." He came around the desk and stood at the opposite side wall. "Master Saotome, if you would place your hand against this wall?" Ranma came over to him and placed his palm flat against the wall. He was not surprised when a small part of the wall slid open to reveal an elevator.

The first Mr. Roth spoke: "The elevator will respond to either of your handprints courtesy of the scanner. When you step inside, the buttons for the various restaurants and facilities will appear."

The second man continued: "In the future, when you visit us, you will not need to speak to us. Just place your hand against this wall and the elevator will appear."

"Seems a little rude to just pass you by without saying a word," Akane stated.

"Actually, it's part of the Protocol," the second man returned. "We are suppose to be invisible – at least unless something is wrong. We appreciate a 'Good Evening' and a polite smile…"

"Which you will receive in return…" the first chimed in.

"But if you have anything to say to us beyond 'Hello' or 'Good-bye', you need to place your hand on the scanner first. This is part and parcel of the Protocol," the second continued.

"But you won't tell us why," Ranma finished.

Both men nodded their assent. "Again," the first picked up, "just know it is needed. We all have our secrets after all."

"Fair enough," Akane said.

Both men gestured to the waiting elevator. Ranma took the hint and turned to once again offer his arm to Akane. She accepted and accompanied him into the elevator. With a smile at the two brothers, she pressed a button labeled "Geppetto's" and the two brothers watched the doors close. As soon as the elevator was gone, another brother walked out of a second alcove. "Actually, my brother is simplifying things…" he said with a mocking tone.

The first and the second looked at the third with raised eyebrows. "Never tell people anything they do not need to know…." they said together.

* * *

Once the door smoothly closed, the elevator rose. Above the door, a countdown appeared starting at 45. Exactly forty-five seconds later, the door opened to reveal a large foyer occupied only by a well-dressed young woman standing at a podium with what was obviously a reservation book. "Mr. Saotome, Ms. Tendo, Welcome to Geppetto's. Your table is ready." The couple smiled and uttered a greeting, then followed the woman into the restaurant proper to receive their first view of Geppetto's.

The restaurant was very large, but the subdued lighting and the fact that the restaurant featured raised half-walls, about two meters high and topped with a mix of overflowing planters and Roman columns which rose to the ceiling, broke up the feeling of vastness. Walking among the tables (most of which had a black table cloth) felt like walking through a complex flower-filled maze. The hostess led them through the maze into the center section of the restaurant. The center was organized as two half-circles of tables around a center dance floor. The inner half-circle consisted of nineteen tables, organized two deep in a staggered fashion, all with white table cloths. The outer half-circle consisted of half again the number of tables of the inner shape, also organized two deep in a staggered fashion along the inner boundary of the maze, but with black table cloths. There was five meters of open floor space between the two half-circles, but the inner half-circle of tables was right next to the dance floor. The dance floor itself was half-filled with couples moving to a music piece encouraging close dancing. At the far end of the room was a DJ in a blue-sequined jacket, sunglasses, and a derby hat surveying his domain with a satisfied smile.

The hostess led them over to a corner of the central area where a private two-person table with a black table cloth awaited them. There were close-set columns atop the raised half-wall behind the table, giving the couple a bit more isolation from those behind them. A broad leaf vine climbing up the columns completed the wall. Akane loved it, and said so aloud. Ranma thought it was perfect and thanked the hostess. Ranma then went over and pulled out Akane's chair for her with a flourish, angling the chair so she could see the dance floor better (and moving her closer to his chair). He then walked around the table and took his seat, smiling at his Date.

* * *

Next up: And they danced...


	4. And so they danced

Chapter 4: And So They Danced…

Ranma couldn't help smiling while he alternated between watching Akane and the dancers. She was almost bouncing in her seat as she took in the restaurant. "Oh my! This is absolutely perfect," she said again, sounding a little like her sister.

"Geez, you're easy to please," he teased her. "We just got here."

She hit his upper arm with her elbow (only hard enough to get his attention), but the smile never really wavered. "Thank you for asking me here, Ranma," she said while looking at him.

"My pleasure," he responded. He stared into her eyes and felt his courage pick up again. As she looked at him, she saw a look of wonder cross his face that she thought she understood. Ranma leaned closer and Akane matched him, her eyes sparkling as she drew closer. They continued to close the distance, their eyes starting to close in anticipation – right up until a harried waitress bumped into their table, startling them both.

"My apologies!" she said, not really noticing the couple separating quickly (or seeing the look of annoyance flash across their faces either). She quickly placed a basket of Italian bread and creamy butter on the table, followed by a small platter of antipasto (heavy on the meat and fish) and a second platter of tomato, mozzarella, roasted garlic, and roasted peppers in front of the two of them.

"Umm…excuse me ma'am," Ranma started, but the waitress continued…

"Now, let me take your wine order..." she said as she turned to face the couple for the first time, then stopped in surprise.

Ranma glanced at Akane, who shook her head firmly. "Actually, ma'am, we do not drink," he said just as firmly.

The waitress winced and looked embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to tempt you kids." She stopped again suddenly wincing, "Oh man, I didn't mean to call you that either, Sir and Madam. Please excuse me." She took a deep breath. "I humbly apologize for the slips of the tongue. May I please start again? Please?" At their nods, she went on: "Sir and Madam, I am Mami, and I will be your waitress this evening. Please excuse our haste today. We did not anticipate such a large turnout, so we are a little short-handed until we can finish contacting our staff and ask them to come in tonight. We anticipate a half-hour delay until normal service can resume. In the meantime, please accept these appetizers on-the-house." She paused for a second, and then continued: "Additionally, all non-alcoholic drinks are also on-the-house this evening."

"You just made that part up," Ranma said while Akane gave his foot a kick under the table.

The waitress looked embarrassed again. "Well, I'm only suppose to offer the first drink on-the-house, but since we offer free refills on soft drinks, it amounts to the same thing. And I am sorry about calling you 'kids', it's just that our youngest clientele is usually about a decade older."

Ranma waved off any further apologies as unnecessary. "I'm sorry too…I'm a little touchy about that," he said, which eased up the pressure on his foot, and got him an approving glance from Akane.

The waitress relaxed. "If you're here, it means you've seen more than you should have, so it's allowed. Anyway, can I get you a couple of colas?" At their nods, she continued, "I'll get the glasses and straws. The straws are color coded for the drinks, so the busboys know what to pour. I'll bring menus by in a bit, as soon as things get setup a little more. In the meantime, enjoy the appetizers and the dance floor. The DJ just got set up and he's already got the floor started – he's quite good and takes requests." She accepted their thanks and moved on.

"Not *too* shabby, Ranma. You're getting better at handling people," Akane noted.

"Hey, I'm learning," he defended. "Besides I handled Roth just fine."

"Yes, you did," she admitted flashing him a smile. Then the smile became shy again. "I didn't mean to stop you from having a glass of wine if you wanted – I know you won't drink yourself silly."

"I skipped for the same reason you did."

"Which was?"

"I'm a martial artist too," he said with a smirk on his face.

Again, the elbow smacked his upper arm, but while Akane's mouth was pressed into a tight line, she couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from turning up at the insolent look on his face. Finally she gave up trying to look angry and started laughing "Why do you do that to me?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"Tease me, dummy!"

"Depends. These days, I do it outside the dojo because I know it will make you smile."

"What about beforehand?"

"I use to do it because that's the only way I knew how to relate to people," he said with a shrug.

"Your father has a lot to answer for," she said with some heat.

"Maybe. I did learn better eventually," he said with another shrug. Then, he hesitated thoughtfully and continued: "I use to do it because it made you angry."

"Why?"

"The reasons changed over time. I hated the idea of being forced into anything, so sometimes I took it out on you."

"That went both ways," Akane said with a sigh.

"Sometimes, it was because you were sad, and I'd rather see you angry than sad."

"You were trying to cheer me up?" she said in disbelief.

"More or less," he admitted.

"Please tell me you know of better ways now…" she said with exasperation.

Ranma started to chuckle. "Yes, I think I figured that out," he said with a very direct look.

A shiver went down Akane's spine at that look and she had to work very hard to keep her smile from growing. "So what about the other times?"

Ranma's eyes focused on her mischievously. "Most other times, it was so you'd chase me and pay attention to me."

"Say what?"

The mischievousness burned now in Ranma's eyes and he leaned toward her. "You're a very popular lady, Akane Tendo. I had to do something to stand out from the crowd. So instead of pursuing you like everyone else, I had you pursue me."

Ranma's eyes were causing Akane's stomach to flutter. "I was trying to hurt you, idiot," she said in hushed tones.

Ranma shrugged as he leaned closer, "I'm fairly tough, and I heal quickly. Besides, you've never seen yourself when you are angry." The fluttering was moving into Akane's chest. Ranma's voice developed a hushed intensity, "You're passionate in the chase, Akane. There's a bright fire in your eyes, and it spreads. Your skin is lit with the intensity, and your form crackles with it like lightning. Your moves echo that of a jungle cat tearing after its prey. And all that passion is directed at me. Do you know what that is like?" he said leaning closer until their foreheads were almost touching.

Akane was starting to get the idea from the look in Ranma's eyes. Her mouth was slowly opening as she was beginning to tilt her head…

"Hello, there!" a voice boomed out while dropping glasses on their table. Ranma resisted the urge to snap the clueless busboy in half. Akane resisted the urge to prevent the hapless idiot from ever reproducing. Unseen by either of them, Mami, their waitress, resisted the urge to kill the busboy outright – although she had help in the form of three co-workers physically restraining her (they had been curious about the young couple and sneaked a peak at Mr. Roth's book for more info). The busboy, unaware of how close his death had come, proceeded to chatter aimlessly at the couple while pouring them drinks and urging them to try the antipasto. He only went away once both of them had grabbed some bread and placed a bit of the meat on the bread. He then ambled his way back to the kitchen, believing in a job well done, only to receive a vicious beating once he got there.

Ranma started on the antipasto, making sure to eat slowly despite his father's training. He wanted Akane to have the opportunity to try everything and he was determined to actually taste something instead of just inhaling. Besides, it helped hide his annoyance at the busboy. He had let something from inside himself escape a few minutes ago, and he knew Akane had seen it. He thought it would frighten her, but it didn't. Instead, she had responded, which surprised (and pleased) him that they had more in common than he thought along those lines. He wished the moment had completed itself instead of being interrupted by the busboy. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure what to do next.

Akane looked at her fiancé as he ate; his face was annoyed and thoughtful at the same time. She knew his thoughts for once; he was annoyed at the busboy, annoyed at himself for losing his iron grip on his emotions, and surprised that she hadn't bolted. Bolted? No force on earth could drag Akane away now! Akane had seen something in Ranma's eyes for the first time – Passion. It wasn't Passion for the Art (which he had in abundance), it was Passion for her. In other boys' eyes, she had seen Puppy Dog looks, lots of Lust, Possessiveness, even Admiration, but only in Ranma's eyes see had seen Friendship, and then Love. Never until tonight had she seen honest Passion in anyone's eyes, and she wanted that back, and she wanted that back NOW.

Inside Akane, something clicked and whirled. She popped a slice of tomato into her mouth and grabbed a large chunk of bread, then got up, much to Ranma's surprise. Akane proceeded to stride determinedly around the table and grab Ranma's hand, pulling him out of his seat. When he tried to speak to her, she shoved the bread into his mouth to stop him. She then dragged him onto the dance floor while he chewed the bread furiously trying to regain his voice. She stopped a small way in and placed his hand on her waist saying: "Your hand goes here, mine goes here," while resting it on his shoulder. "Our other hands are clasped up here and slightly away from our bodies. Do you remember the Box Step from class?" Ranma had to nod as there was still too much bread stuffed in his cheeks. "Good. We start there. Since this is a Soft Rock piece instead of a Waltz, we will add a bit of a sway to our movements and be prepared for quick steps to match the beat changes. I'll lead this song; you can lead next if you get your bearings. Remember that your steps are normally longer than mine and I like my toes, so keep your steps short."

And so they danced. The school classes came back to Ranma quickly. Also, since he could learn any kata by observing it, it wasn't hard for him to pick up alternative moves from those around him. Mostly though, he focused on Akane. She already knew how to dance very well (how he didn't know). He picked up on the movements of her body with growing enthusiasm as song after song played, watching as she modified the Box Step into a dance more in keeping with the music pieces playing. He mirrored her movements as appropriate, flowing cleanly with her through the motions. In some ways, it was like performing a kata with her, only the actions and reactions were closer, more intimate. He allowed that intimacy to translate into further actions – a soft sliding of the hand at the waist, a gentle squeeze of the hand held high, occasionally managing to stroke her cheek. Most of all, that Mischievousness (as he thought of it) he had tried to hide from her, rose back into his eyes burning bright, and became reflected in hers.

* * *

The DJ watched the young couple dance. "Surely, they couldn't be out of High School," he thought. "But they fit in with the other dancers. Indeed, they fit in with the general crowd – people who have seen too much, done too much, and need a rest."

He watched longer after queuing up another song. "They're in Love, deeper than people twice their age could achieve, but it's so new to them," he decided. "They know they are out of their depth too. They are scared and thrilled at the same time. They won't be running to the Temple tomorrow, but it is going to happen." He began to run through his song list. "Let's see if I can take out a few bumps from the ride…"

As he sorted through the list, a tall man approached him. "Excuse me!" the man called out.

The DJ turned. "Yes, Sir?"

The man pulled out 2000 yen. "The young couple dancing off in the corner – do you have something appropriate for them? Maybe a couple of somethings?"

The DJ took the bill. "Yes, Sir. I think I can find something." The man nodded his thanks and turned away.

The DJ found one of the songs he was looking for and saw one of the waitresses approaching him. He searched his memory for her name. Mami. Her name was Mami. "Hey, Alex!" she called out.

"Yes, Ma'am," he answered.

"I interrupted something earlier, and I need your help to fix it." She started to pull out her wallet.

He saw the gesture. "Save it, Mami. I don't need the tip – this one's on the house."

The waitress stopped and replaced the wallet. "The young couple in the corner – think you can find a song for them?"

"I guarantee it."

She nodded her thanks, and he queued up another two songs. By the time they finished, he'd have the couple's songs ready. He had just finished altering the queue for the first song when one of the busboys approached him by the name of Yuuma. The guy looked rather beat up. "Dude!" he called out. "I need help!"

"What's up, man? Forgot to pay your bookie?"

"No, I was clueless. I interrupted something. Mami and company are making me pay…"

"Let me guess, you need a song for the young couple in the corner?"

"Yeah, I should have minded my own business."

"Probably, man. Everyone here is a lot older than they seem."

"I know, but those two look like they are still in High School."

Alex shrugged his shoulders, "They're here, man. That should tell you something all by itself."

The busboy just snorted, shook his head, and reached for his wallet. The DJ stopped him, "Save it, Yuuma. It's already paid for a couple times over. You're not the only one who wants to see them happy."

Yuuma raised his hands. "I know nothing, man. I'm just going to mind my own business." With that, he walked away while the DJ grinned at him.

Alex studied the couple once more. "I need a power ballad. Something that starts out slow and hits hard toward the end, but nothing they are familiar with – I need to catch them off guard," he thought. Suddenly, it came to him. "I'll get you two. The first one will set you up and the second one will snag you hard," he chuckled to himself.

* * *

The new piece surprised Akane. She was probably one of the few people in the room who knew this song well. Kasumi had stashed away a lot of Mother's music and took it out on occasion when Daddy wasn't about. She and her sisters would listen to it and remember their mother from time to time. Apparently, her mother had been a big fan of the American singer and had a lot of his music from the 70's and early 80's.

"_Don't go changing, to try and please me  
You never let me down before" (1) _

Unintentionally, she let out a giggle, but it only made Ranma smile, so that was all right. In an odd way, this song sort of suited her shape-shifter. She began singing it to him softly, so that he had to pull her closer to hear her. She tucked her head under his chin and continued to sing to him.

* * *

Ranma listened to Akane's singing with a slight smirk. All right, the English words were sort of apropos. It was that last verse that really struck him though.

"_I said I love you and that's forever  
And this I promise from the heart  
I could not love you any better  
I love you just the way you are."_

As the saxophone carried the song off, he held Akane tight and thought about the phrase "I love you". When he first told her that, he had cheated a little bit: "cheated" in that he never actually said "I love you", but only a little bit in that he had made sure she received his full meaning anyway. It did work, (2) but maybe it was time for a little reinforcement. This evening struck him as a perfect time, but not on the dance floor; a little later perhaps, with a little more privacy.

* * *

Akane held her breath while the song changed, but it was a slow song, so she didn't have to let go of Ranma, which was fine by her. The DJ said the song was by an Australian band, but she didn't recognize the group.

"_I know just how to whisper  
And I know just how to cry" (3)_

The song was nice enough, if rather iterative. She was caught off guard when the singer's voice went staccato and injected more passion into the song. She could tell Ranma was also a little surprised by the beat change as he adjusted the dance steps to match the song. The singer dropped the intensity suddenly and the band followed:

"_But I don't know how to leave you  
And I'll never let you fall  
And I don't know how you do it  
Making love out of nothing at all"_

Ranma stopped for a second not knowing how to lead with the change and looked down at Akane in confusion, only to be captured by her gaze as she raised her eyes to him. She, in turn, was caught by his look. As the song's chorus re-established the main beat, they automatically began to follow it, but their eyes were locked on each other. It finally hit Ranma how close he and Akane had been holding each other during the last dance as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do. His blood began to race through his veins as his heart hit overdrive. He thought back to the last blocked kiss and Akane's response – she hadn't run then, and she didn't run now. She really did love him. She wanted to be with him. The Mischief in his eyes became a bonfire and took on another Name.

Akane looked into Ranma's eyes and saw the flames. She no longer cared that they were in the middle of a dance floor. She was oblivious to the other dancers. The Passion was back and she wasn't going to let it escape this time. It and he belonged to her and her alone! She let her own flames own rise to join his.

The chorus ended and the singer immediately started a staccato attack on the next verse, piling more passion into the song and setting the young couple's nerves further alight as they became more and more lost in each others' eyes:

"_You can take the darkness from the pit of the night  
And turn into a beacon burning endlessly bright  
I've gotta follow it 'cause everything I know  
Well it's nothing till I give it to you"_

The scream of the guitar removed any last hesitation. As soon as it started, Ranma dropped his head and met Akane's lips with his own. Akane's hands shot up around his neck and pulled him close, never wanting to let go. All the missed and foiled opportunities went into that kiss, nearly two years of frustration.

Akane heard a roaring in her ears and her blood felt like it was on fire. Her mind soared with elation, riding the storm from deep inside her. She felt the protective barriers she had set up so long ago crumble; the restrictions she always hid behind shatter. "Mine!" her spirit shouted. "For good or for ill, this Love is Mine!"

Ranma felt the Neko roar inside himself with triumph. Ranko's exultation also echoed in his mind. Loudest in his head was the sound of his own voice shouting victory. Never in his life had Ranma felt so whole, so free of conflict. "No more!" his spirit yelled. "I'll hide from her no more! Whether we travel to Heaven or Hell, we go together!"

* * *

Eventually, they felt the music stop and they reluctantly broke the kiss. Akane slid her head back under Ranma's chin and leaned against him as he continued to hold her tight. Her lips felt bruised, but she relished the sensation. She became aware of people moving around her and prepared to move herself. Suddenly there was the sound of applause breaking out around them. Akane looked up to see that she and Ranma were the center of attention.

The DJ's amplified voice cut though the noise: "For the record, you two started that kiss about 15 minutes ago, or about four songs back. If I didn't need a break, you would still be at it." There was a cheer from the crowd. Akane brought her hands up to her cheeks to hide her blush. Ranma settled for looking embarrassed, wondering if he should grab Akane and make a run for it. The DJ spoke again: "OK, OK, we've had our fun. And I still need that break. Off the dance floor everyone, and I've just been told that dinner service should begin shortly." Another cheer went up and people began to go back to their tables.

Ranma grabbed Akane's hand and began to lead her back to their table. Fortunately, most of the room forgot about them immediately, and those that didn't, just smiled kindly at the couple. The only exception was six people sitting at a white table – they held up score cards. When Akane saw them, she blushed again and buried her head in Ranma's chest. Ranma read the cards – nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, and eight (the last held by a grumpy looking man). Ranma held her as they walked by. The warm feeling of her snuggling into him and the urge to shield her blunted his own embarrassment enough for him to comment, "Feh. That performance was a ten and they know it." Akane looked up at him in surprise, and started to giggle, making Ranma feel ten meters tall.

* * *

Alex watched from his podium as the couple walked back to their table. He noticed with approval that the table was tucked back into a corner of the central room. At least someone in management was thinking. The young man escorted the lady to her chair, and then took his own. To Alex's amusement, the man tapped the woman on the shoulder causing her to look at him. He then leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss – at least it started out gentle, but the woman grabbed the young man and added some force to the kiss. Alex counted to fifteen before they stopped and looked at each other happily. The DJ then reached into his bag and took out a large stamp and ink pad. He inked the stamp and hit the side of his amplifier with it. The new stamp joined the block images of fifty or so kissing couples on the side of the DJ's amp.

* * *

1) Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are" (from the album "The Stranger", 1977)

2) See "Brothers", Chapter 14, Part I, if you are curious...

3) Air Supply's "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" (written by Jim Steinman, 1983)


	5. Table Discussions

Chapter 5: Table Discussions

Ranma and Akane moved their chairs closer together as they sampled the antipasto. A new busboy (or rather busgirl) stopped by every so often to top off their drinks. They watched the other tables, noting that the youngest (besides themselves) seemed to be about thirty, but there was no one older than seventy. There was a sprinkling of people they recognized from the television: a few well known politicians, a handful of sports figures, even a full blown celebrity or two. All the people wore a quiet aura of power and desire to be left alone so they could relax.

"We do fit in, don't we," Akane said.

"Yeah, it does seem to be our type of crowd. Maybe that's why the Doc suggested this place."

Akane looked thoughtful for a second. "Ranma? Do you remember what Mr. Roth called Tofu?"

Ranma looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Roth called Tofu 'Lord Ono'."

"Oh. Yeah, he did."

"And Daran Hawk said that he owed Tofu several large favors."

"Hawk?" questioned Ranma, stalling for time. He knew where this was going and he had to sort out some things very quickly given his new world view.

"The woman at the…" Akane paused slightly; "at the motor pool said Daran's last name was Hawk," she finished quietly.

"He just wanted us to call him the Chauffeur."

"Tofu introduced him as Daran. How does… someone like him… know someone like Doctor Tofu?" she asked, keeping her voice down.

"Well, you know Tofu is more than a simple clinic doctor; you know he's also a mage like Mr. Jouda," Ranma hedged. "He did lend you that artifact last weekend, and he gave a potion to Sayuri and Yuka."

Akane shook her head. "No, there's more to it than that. I'm sure of it."

"More than being a mage? What other complications do you want your future brother-in-law to have? Maybe a nice Jusenkyo curse perhaps?" he teased her.

"Does he have one?" she asked.

"Not that I know of," Ranma said, and then cursed silently. "Please don't take that opening…Please don't take that opening…" he said in the quiet of his mind. "Kami-Sama, I promise to go with Kasumi to Temple tomorrow if she doesn't take that opening," he prayed.

Alas, Kami-Sama wasn't in a hurry to get Ranma to Temple.

"Oh?" Akane's eyebrow shot up. "So what do you know?" she quizzed. "You've been spending a lot of time with him lately at the clinic."

"Let's try a diversion," Ranma thought. Out loud he said: "Well, he did give me a job to help with the closing time – there's a fair amount to do there."

Akane started to ask about what Ranma did, then caught on. She briefly thought about scolding Ranma, but she also had her world view altered recently, and switched tactics: "Does Kasumi know?" she asked.

Ranma reached for some mozzarella while reflecting that the three sisters were more alike than most people knew. Right now, he felt like he was dueling Nabiki. Meanwhile, Akane only reinforced that idea by directing a (not-so) innocent wide-eyed look at him. Ranma thought back to the note Tofu had left for him, especially the underlined word. He was going to lose. What's more, the Doc knew he would lose, but didn't want to come between Ranma and Akane. Tofu knew Akane was worthy of trust and wasn't worried.

Fine then – if Ranma was going to lose, he was going to get something from the loss: "Yes, Kasumi knows, and so does your father." Ranma felt a little smug about dragging Soun into this. He owed Akane's father a little pay-back.

"Knows what? Come on – tell me!" she wheedled.

"Nope. It's a secret – you have to guess."

"What? Why?" she asked.

Ranma raised his hand and began ticking points off on his fingers. "One: Because the Doc trusts me to keep my mouth shut. Two: It's a big secret. Three: We are in a very public place. I'd be worried about mentioning that he's a mage, except we seem to be surrounded by about twenty of them anyway. Four: The Doc knows you're going to find out eventually and he trusts you, but would rather you learn something from it, rather than have it handed to you. Five: I want a new game to play with you since you've seemed to have won the previous one."

Akane drew herself up and gave Ranma a light dope-slap. "Oh, like you are suffering so much," she said in mock-snippy tones.

"I never said I was suffering," Ranma said reasonably. "And I didn't say I didn't win as well," he added smugly.

Akane looked at his smug smile and couldn't stop the corners of her own mouth from twitching upwards. "Oh, fine," she gave up, but her voice turned serious for a moment: "Kasumi does know, right?"

Ranma caught the tone. He took her hand and answered just as seriously: "She knows. Promise. The Doc is playing straight up with your sister. Just like I promise to be with you."

She smiled at that and brought her forehead in to touch Ranma's. Ranma smiled back at her. After a moment of this, Akane broke the spell. "I want a clue," she said playfully.

"What?"

"If we are playing a game, I want a clue," she said in the same tone.

"Only if you promise not to bring it up again this evening."

"Deal."

"Fine. I told you Kasumi knows. Your clue is that she doesn't mind the secret. In fact, she sort of likes it."

"Hmmm…Let's see. That could…"

Ranma placed a finger to her lips… "Nope. We had a deal."

"Oh, all right" she huffed, and then grabbed a piece of the antipasto. Ranma suppressed a laugh. "Let the game begin," he thought.

* * *

The DJ had returned, and the couple was debating returning to the dance floor when Mami approached with the menus in her hands. "Sorry for the delay. We are still running a little slow," she said a little hurried.

"Not a problem," Ranma answered while accepting the menus and handing one to Akane.

Mami saw that their drinks were full and asked about appetizers: "Do you know what you want for a starter? I can get it going while you look over the dinner menu."

Akane looked at Ranma, who nodded. She turned to Mami and ordered: "I'll have a shrimp cocktail and he'll have the smoked salmon, please."

Mami acknowledge the order and left. Meanwhile Ranma and Akane looked through the menu. Since the corner they were sitting in was dark, Ranma had to angle his menu to catch the table's candle light. Seeing that Akane was also struggling with the light, he was about to suggest Akane do the same, when she found her own solution. She brought the menu closer to her using one hand, raised the other hand, and summoned a small ball of white light that floated just above her fingertips. Ranma suppressed an oath. He noticed that she was being discrete about the light source and decided not to stop her. In the meantime, he switched back and forth from studying the menu, to studying Akane's light source. Eventually, she extinguished the light and put down the menu.

"I think I'll have the Chicken Marsala," she said. "What about you?"

"I'm going to have the Sausage Lasagna," he answered once he set down the menu.

Mami reappeared within thirty seconds with their appetizers. Akane gave the waitress their order. Ranma sat quietly through the exchange with his chin resting on his joined hands and a troubled look on his face. Akane noticed and tried to wait it out for a couple minutes, but she gave up after that and asked him what was up.

"I messed up," he told. "I haven't been a good teacher to my student and I need to fix it."

"Ranma, what are you talking about? You don't have a student," she said puzzled. The very direct look he gave her caused her to suffer a moment of realization. "Oh," she said out loud. She thought about it for a minute. "I don't see it," she admitted. "Ever since China, you've been doing your best to teach me. You've been taking pointers from Shizuka and from Tofu. Even Shizuka said you have come a long way."

"The problem is the wording 'ever since China.' I should have been a bit more direct with you before China. Akane, we have to talk."

Normally, those words would fill a fiancée with trepidation, but Akane already knew the context and wasn't afraid. "O.K. Ranma, I'm listening."

"Let's start with the obvious question: How long have you been able to generate light from your hand?"

"What? This?" Akane dropped her hand below the table top and created the ball of light again.

"Yeah, that. The little bit of pure light you can create without breaking a sweat."

She shrugged her shoulders and let the light extinguish. "I've been doing it since grade school. I started to do it so I could read at night without Kasumi catching me."

Ranma's eyebrows shot up. "You've been generating white light since grade school?" He was very proud of the fact that he managed to keep his voice down despite his surprise.

"Huh? No, no. When I started it was red. During High School when I started trying to keep up with you, it switched to green – it was easier to read by when it was that color. About a year ago, it switched to blue. Blue was harder to read by, so I kept forcing it back to green."

"How long ago did it become white?"

"I accidently turned it white about three months ago."

"Accidently?" Ranma quizzed.

"I was trying for green, but I was a little distracted at the time and started to play with it. I managed to get it to turn white, which is the easiest to read by. So, I've kept it white."

"It you don't force it, what color is it?"

"It comes up blue if I don't tune it. Ranma, what's the big deal? Lots of us can generate a visible aura. You and Ryoga can turn it into a weapon."

Ranma sighed. "Yes, and I believe you can as well – part of the lessons I should have given you." He watched as Akane's eyes widened, and then continued: "That's not your aura."

"I don't understand…"

"Akane, your aura is red – you know that don't you?"

"Of course I know tha…" She stopped in the middle of her sentence, and then dropped her hand below the table again. The white light re-appeared. As Ranma watched, she changed it to blue, back through green, and to red. Ranma reached out and grabbed her hand. The light began to fade, but not before he slid his hand up and through it. As he expected, it was actually hot – hot enough to cause pain. He removed his hand and shook it. Akane looked at him.

"That's light, Akane. Real physical light. When we generate an aura, a camera cannot record it, even if the aura is strong enough to cause physical damage. The damage is recorded, the aura is not – it's in the mind of the observer only. What you are generating can be recorded by a machine. It's not spiritual – you've managed to take your aura and use it to create light. From some of the scrolls I've read, you're not the first to do it, but it takes a hell of a lot of control, and a fair amount of power."

She shook her head. "But, I don't have the power or the control. I'm not you, Ranma."

He snorted. "This is the girl who within hours of meeting me managed to end-lift an oak dining table, rotate it in her hands, and smash me hard enough with it to knock me out for a couple of hours? Never mind the fact that on the third day I was here, you took out not ten, not twenty, but forty-three lust filled jocks? And had been doing it for days on end? You're wrong on both counts, Akane. You have the power – you've had it for a while, and you are only growing stronger. And you have *way* too much control."

Akane's eyes reflected her confusion. "What do you mean 'way too much'? Shouldn't we always maintain control as martial artists?"

"Not to the point of limiting yourself so thoroughly." Ranma answered. "Do you know why I tease you so sharply when we spar? Why I try so hard to make you angry then?" he asked. At the shake of Akane's head, he went on: "Because when you get angry, you lose that tight control. You start to shake the limitations you place on yourself. You become faster and stronger. Do you honestly think I'm such a glutton for punishment that I let you hit me all those times? Many of the times you have struck me, it's because you went critical and moved faster than I anticipated, and I didn't prepare myself fast enough."

"Which only proves I need to control myself better," Akane said.

Ranma shook his head. "Maybe you need to control your temper, but that's not what we are talking about here. You're crushing your spirit instead – not the same thing." Ranma grinned at her. "But I know better – you are Akane Tendo, and your spirit cannot be contained or mastered. Not even by yourself." Then he grew serious again. "If you don't allow your spirit some freedom, if you keep oppressing it, it will tear free and the damage will be far greater than anything me or Ryoga could do. Innocent people will be hurt, and you will damage yourself severely."

Akane looked down at her hand and generated the white ball of light again. Ranma spoke: "The light is created by your aura/power pushing desperately through the little hole you made in your control. When you first started, it was red, then green, then blue. You're better than me at Physics, Akane. You know what that means."

Akane spoke in a hushed voice: "Red light is the easiest to generate. It's close to infrared. Green light is in the middle of the spectrum – each unit of light contains more energy. Blue is near the high end of the visible spectrum – yet more energy."

"And now you're creating white light…" he prompted her.

"I'm creating all three at once," she finished. Ranma saw fear in her eyes. "Ranma, what am I going to do?"

He put an arm around her shoulder and smiled at her. "That's easy to tell you. Tomorrow, you and I are going to find a vacant lot, and I'm going to teach you the Mouko Takabashi. That will give you a stress release. Then the two of us will talk to Tofu later in the week and bring Kasumi along."

"What? Why Kasumi?" she asked.

"Trust me. We're going to need Kasumi – you'll see why then." He saw doubts in her eyes, but he didn't really want to tell her why right now; that she was trying to jam herself into a model of womanhood that did not exist in her family. Her role models were not who she subconsciously thought they were. Kasumi was not a meek housewife – she was a martial artist engaged to a mythological creature. More importantly, Kimiko Tendo had been an absolute "take-no-prisoners" spitfire that even Happosai had feared, not just the loving mother Akane remembered. Akane was cut from the same cloth as her mother (one of the reason Ranma loved her). But no matter how much Ranma or the others told her, Akane would never really believe it until Kasumi forced her to see the truth, something that may cut short the new game between Ranma and Akane. Oh well, he'd find another game to amuse themselves…

In the meantime, he had a fiancée to reassure, and he did his best using his new ability discovered on the dance floor. By the time Mami came back with their dinners, Akane was no longer frightened or doubtful, and their appetizers were gone. Ranma was also starting to gain control of the whirlwind in his head that Akane's kisses seemed to create, but he couldn't (and didn't want to) stop the euphoria they also created. The rest of dinner passed in pleasant conversation about what each wanted out of life, and where they saw themselves (in general terms) in the future. Both of them noted privately that there were no real surprises and that they could walk the same path together with a little compromising (something that added a warm glow to each of their spirits). The subject of their engagement never came up though…

* * *

As Mami ordered the dishes cleared away and asked about dessert, Ranma thought about taking another turn at the dance floor. It was very pleasant to hold Akane and he didn't want to pass up the opportunity. He politely asked Mami to check back with them in a bit. As the waitress left, Ranma rose from his seat and marched around the table. He then bowed to Akane and spoke in grandiose words: "Oh beautiful lady, there are none here as wondrous as you. Would you please do me the honor of joining me for a dance?"

Akane pretended to think about it. "Well, since I don't have any better offers, I suppose so," she teased. Ranma mimic a hurt look which Akane solved with a kiss. Grinning, he escorted her to the dance floor. They found an open spot near the center of the floor and started. Akane noticed that Ranma had indeed caught on fairly quickly, so she led him through some more complicated dance steps.

"Where did you learn to dance? Gym class never covered any of these steps," Ranma quizzed her.

"Nabiki taught me," she replied.

"Say what?" he said in disbelief.

"Nabiki adores the clubs. When she goes out on a date with someone, they inevitably end up in a club by night's end," Akane told him. "When she gets back, she shows off whatever she learned the previous night. Kasumi and I picked up a lot from her. I also think she gets a kick out of teaching her "big sister" and the "martial artist" – she likes showing off that she's one up on us."

"Why am I not surprised?" he laughed.

Akane grinned at him. "Especially since it's a physical activity – the fact that she's better than us makes it that much sweeter for her. I make sure to complain a little during the sessions, because it causes her to teach us longer – she wants to prolong the moment of triumph that much more."

Ranma groaned. "I'm doomed. My girlfriend is a master manipulator. I should just put a leash around my neck and hand you the other end."

Akane's eyes opened real wide. "Girlfriend?"

Ranma looked at her puzzled. "Umm, yeah – Girlfriend. I know we are engaged by arrangement and I don't want to change that honestly, but I thought we could also choose our relationship anyway and take it where we want to go at our pace."

"Girlfriend?" Akane repeated.

Ranma became concerned. "I'm sorry if that's a little fast. You know how I feel about you, but I don't want to push you…"

Akane grabbed and hugged him hard, staggering him. "I have a boyfriend!" she all but shouted.

"Akane, I can't breathe!" he croaked out.

"Oh, I'm sorry Ranma!"

Ranma worked on re-starting his lungs, while Akane explained. "Sorry again, but my father forced me from single to engaged, skipping a lot of steps. I thought I'd never get a chance to…well…to have a real romance."

"Hey, I know I'm a little rough around the edges, but I'm working on it," he protested in between breaths.

"And you are doing beautifully, boyfriend," she giggled at him, which brought a grin to his face. "Thank you, Ranma."

He smiled. "You are very welcome, but I am benefiting here too you know."

* * *

They danced on, mixing in a kiss or three during the slow songs. Akane caught knowing glances from some of the other dancers, and even the DJ seem to be keeping half-an-eye on them, but it didn't worry her. For the most part, the people here minded their own business, which suited her just fine – she had Ranma all to herself. For her part, she did pay occasional attention to the crowd around her. There were a mix of celebrities on the dance floor (she had to remind herself not to seek an autograph from one gentleman in particular), and she also recognized a few politicians from the news. She would also swear she felt a familiar aura every now and then, but whenever she tried to focus on it, it seemed to belong to no one she knew – all except one that is. However, it was the ceiling that sparked her curiosity the most though. She was sure she caught a flash of aura from there every now and then. That and the occasional odd noise she heard when the music paused. Finally, she decided she wasn't crazy, and asked Ranma about it: "Ranma, how many ninjas do you think are in the ceiling above us."

Her boyfriend/fiancé smirked at her. "Not bad. I was wondering if you would pick up on that."

She gave Ranma another light dope slap. "Not everything has to be a test you know."

"In our school, it is." He closed his eyes for a moment, and then shook his head. "It's no good. I can't tell for sure. All of them are very good. If it wasn't for the tight quarters and having to side-step one another, we'd never know they were there. I'd say there are at least seventy judging from the size of the room down here, the number of patrons powerful enough to have personal protection like that, and the frequency of the noise."

"You think they are all on protection details?"

"Pretty sure. The rules of The Complex would prohibit spying or assassination attempts. There's no way they don't know about what's happening above us."

"Do you think the owners are that savvy?"

Ranma nodded. "That scanner we placed our hands on was not a normal hand scanner; there was something arcane about it. I'm guessing there are other surprises here. The only thing that really makes me wonder about how savvy Roth and his crew are is the fact that they seem to have been caught flatfooted about how many people would be here tonight. That I don't understand."

"That is weird," admitted Akane. "There are way more black tables than white, and the black tables require the reservations. The management should have had enough notice."

"Although, all the white tables are full, too," Ranma commented. "For people who prize their privacy, that's also a little odd."

"Could it be the DJ?" Akane asked. "He is awfully good and keeping the floor full."

"Definitely a man of many talents," her boyfriend commented with wry humor. Akane just smiled at the shared secret.

* * *

Next: Enter the Complications - Stage Left.


	6. Enter the Complications

Chapter 6: Enter the Complications

Ranma strolled to the bathroom with a happy spring to his step. The date had gone very well so far. The food had been great, the dancing had been wonderful, and the kissing superb. He was in good with Akane, and he had every intention of keeping it that way. When he got back, they would have a nice dessert, and then they would go for a walk at the nearby park Tofu had told him about. He was working on what he would tell Akane when they got there – if it killed him, he would say the words "I love you" before the evening ended. He realized this was only the start of the journey for Akane and him, but he was sure they were getting off on the right foot.

Those thoughts fled his mind when he walked into the bathroom. "What the…?" he started to think. The bathroom was enormous! A marching band could fit between the sinks and the stalls. The stalls themselves could hold a couple of horses each, and there were fifteen of them! The ceiling was seven meters up. Was this a bathroom for giants? The sinks looked normal size. Ranma checked out an open stall. A single normal-sized toilet sat in there all by its lonesome. Huh?

A voice spoke behind him. "Is everything all right, sir?"

Ranma spun to see a bathroom attendant standing next to two stacks of towels sitting on top of a closed floor cabinet. Above the man, but within reach, were another set of cabinets. "This is the Men's bathroom, correct?" Ranma asked.

"Of course, sir." The attendant smiled. "Otherwise I'd be a woman telling you to get out. What else were you expecting?"

"That may be the door should be labeled 'Dragons' instead of 'Mens'?" Ranma quipped.

The man showed no facial reaction to the joke. "Oh no, sir. We segregate by birth gender only."

Alarm bells started to go off in Ranma's head. "I don't want to know. I don't want to know. I don't want to know…" he repeated to himself. "I just want to get back to Akane." He strode off toward an open stall a little further down the row and tended to business. When done, he stepped back out and crossed the open space to the sinks. As he started to wash, another gentleman also crossed the space. He was an older tall portly man wearing a sharp tuxedo and sporting a thick white handlebar mustache. He looked like a stereotypical English gentleman with the neat white hair. He smiled at Ranma and Ranma smiled back, but Ranma made a point of remembering the Protocol and not nodding. This seemed to satisfy the man who started to wash his own hands.

Suddenly, from further down the room, a voice shouted out "IT'S SHOW TIME!" and Ranma was hit by a spray of cold water. Of course, his curse kicked in immediately. He had thought about trying to obtain some of the Jusenkyo soap for tonight, but there hadn't been time. The shape-changer turned toward the annoying voice and Ranma immediately clamped down on his emotions using the Soul of Ice technique. There was no way he was feeding this little pest.

The mocking voice had come from a meter high creature with a human face, red fur, a red ratty tail, and two red pointed ears. It was dressed in dark peasant's hose and a tunic, but it wore no shoes, allowing its paws to have purchase on the countertop. It had one hand-paw on the cold water faucet and was shaking water off of the other. "Why lookie here!" it shrieked, "There's a girl in the men's Bathroom, and she brought her pony with her!"

Ranma turned toward where the other man had stood. Had he not placed himself in the Soul of Ice, he would have frozen in shock. Instead of an English gentleman, there was a large animal about the size and shape of a horse. However, this animal was covered in black and white stripes. The animal looked back at Ranma with what could only be called a raised eyebrow. Ranma nodded at the animal and turned back to the sink, turning on the cold water and apparently ignoring the little Kitsune.

The creature became nonplussed; neither victim was getting upset and the bathroom attendant wasn't doing anything but checking through the cabinets. It began to get annoyed. "Hey! Little girl! Do you want some candy?" The zebra also turned on the cold water and began to drink from the sink. "Hey, donkey freak! You ready for the glue factory now?"

Suddenly Ranma's hand lashed out and whipped a chunk of ice at the Kitsune, catching it between the eyes. It fell towards the floor only to have the zebra lash out and nail it with his hind foot. The little red creature slammed into the far wall and bounced off again – right into Ranma's waiting hand. The attendant ran forward and slammed a piece of paper with tape onto the creature's forehead. He then produced a roll of silver duct tape and bound the little fox's arms and legs. "He cannot move now," the attendant said.

Ranma set the Kitsune down and turned on the hot water, when the attendant stopped him with the words: "There's an easier way, Sir."

Ranma looked up to see the attendant handing him a hot and very wet towel. Ranma took it and pressed it to her, now his, face. "Thank you," he told the attendant.

The attendant nodded and then handed a stack of large towels to Ranma along with another hot towel. "If you don't mind, Sir, could you please change Mr. Finch back while I summon Mr. Roth?" the man asked Ranma.

Ranma nodded and turned his attention to the zebra. He placed a large dry towel over the zebra's shoulders and another over the zebra's hind quarters. He then moved to the front of the animal. "Ready?" he asked. The zebra nodded, so Ranma pressed the hot towel to its forehead. Instantly, the Englishman was back and adjusting the towels to cover himself.

"Damn. That was my favorite tux," he said quietly. The remains of his clothes were on the floor. "I don't suppose you know the trick about preserving clothes during a shape change? I've never managed to learn it."

"Sorry, my cursed form is smaller than my normal form, so I never bothered to learn it either," Ranma answered the man. Ranma looked down at his own suit. The jacket, shirt, and tie were soaked. If he wasn't using the Soul of Ice technique, he would have yelled the roof down and pummeled the Kitsune into next week.

Mr. Finch raised his eyebrows when Ranma said the word "cursed", but let it go. "Really?" the older gentleman asked. "I thought a young mage like yourself would have learned that trick first."

Ranma shook his head. "I'm not a mage, I'm just a martial artist."

"Really?" Mr. Finch said again. "I doubt that very much. Martial artists don't reach into a stream of water and pull out a chunk of solid ice the size of a baseball." He finished adjusting the towels and washed his hands.

Ranma was about to answer that when the bathroom door opened. The attendant was back, leading Mr. Roth and his brothers into the room. "My apologies to you gentlemen for allowing this creature to interrupt your dinner."

Mr. Finch raised an eyebrow at the three men. "Do you honestly think you've could have stopped the Kitsunes from causing mischief on tonight of all nights?"

"We do our best," Mr. Roth said stiffly.

"Relax, Roth. There's only so much you can do about the Kitsunes."

Roth relaxed (just a little) "Nevertheless, we are not defenseless."

"Which is why we are here, sir. Don't think you can just close The Complex and send us home," the Englishman answered.

Roth's eyes widened with realization. "That's why I had a sudden surge in bookings!"

Mr. Finch chuckled. "It's good to see you are human, Roth. If you are going to make a stand, it's better to do it together."

"I must object, Sir! The Complex is not a fortification!"

"It is now, Roth. You have several hundred Mages on the premise, about the same count for Ninjas, and double that number of Fighters – all of which have some arcane training. Then there are the Shape-Changers…"

"What about the Others?! They will be defenseless!"

"The Others are well aware of what is happening tonight. Many of them would be targets themselves, so they have thrown in their lot with us. The remainder have set up other fortifications or fled the country for the week." He stopped to look at Roth with a raised eyebrow. "We do talk to each other outside of The Complex you know." Roth looked stunned. So Finch continued: "Besides, you didn't really think that The Complex would escape the Kitsunes' attention, did you? You would be making a stand tonight no matter what we did."

"He's right, Mr. Roth," Ranma chimed in. "I don't know everything that's going on, but the more allies you have around you, the better."

One of the brothers sighed. "All right, enough. Let's tend to business and carry on. I'll get a new tuxedo for Mr. Finch, one of you two take Mr. Saotome's shirt and jacket and get them dried properly. We also need to tell Ms. Tendo where her date is."

"But…" Ranma started.

The lead brother cut him off: "You are a client of The Complex. You will not return to your date looking half drowned." He made a motion that Ranma should hand over the jacket. "It will take less than ten minutes – I promise. Dry your hair in the meantime." Ranma gave in and handed the articles of clothing over.

"I'll wait here with Mr. Saotome," Mr. Finch said. "I'd like to fill him in on some details."

"Very good, Sir," the third brother answered, breaking his silence. The three brothers left the room.

* * *

Mami answered the summons to the kitchen. She walked in to see Mr. Roth in a chef's outfit among the scurrying workers. He was watching over some pies in the oven. "Oh, good," he said when she walked in. One of the Roth brothers was next to him whipping cream for the pies. Mr. Roth continued: "I need you to run out and give Ms. Tendo a message. Her fiancé was in a minor accident and is getting cleaned up. She cannot join him as he is in the Men's bathroom. He should be along in ten minutes."

"Is he all right?" Mami asked.

"Yes, yes. His clothes became soaked however, so we are just drying them off. As I said, about ten minutes."

"All right," she replied.

"And Mami?"

"Yes?"

"Plan E," he told her. Mami had been working for Roth for ten years, ever since she graduated High School. He trusted her to do what was necessary.

"E?" she ask surprised.

"E," he stated firmly. "It seems the Kitsunes are not the only tricksters about tonight."

"Kitsunes!" she said surprised. "But shouldn't we…"

"Plan E," he stated firmly, cutting her off.

"Yes, Sir." She turned and left the kitchen, seeking Ms. Tendo.

* * *

Akane came back from the bathroom and was waiting patiently for Ranma, but she really wanted to talk to him. Something was not right about this place. The bathroom was way out of proportion. She looked at the restaurant again, finally noticing its unusual details. No matter how keen people were on their privacy, the tables were too far apart. One could run an elephant through the maze behind her. The ceiling was way too tall – heating this place would be painful cost-wise, and why would any building have the floors spaced so far apart. Did they host giants here?

Her thoughts were broken as the waitress, Mami, approached her table. Unfortunately, Ranma had not had a chance to look at the dessert menu, so she couldn't order for him. She was about to apologize, when Mami spoke first: "I'm sorry Ms. Tendo, but Mr. Saotome will be ten more minutes."

Concern crept into Akane's voice as she asked: "Is he all right?"

"Oh, yes ma'am. There was just a minor accident in the bathroom and his clothes were soaked. The clothes should be dry shortly. He's anxious to return to you."

Akane nodded her head and Mami moved on hurriedly. Then Akane sighed; Ranma's water curse had kicked in and he probably hit himself with hot water before anyone really noticed. Still it's not like this wasn't a regular occurrence. All-in-all, Akane really didn't mind that he was a shape-shifter. Actually, she didn't mind at all – no matter which shape he wore, he was always Ranma to her. She was just annoyed to be apart from him when everything had been going so well.

She sighed again and started to watch the room. She noticed her waitress was now running around the room stopping at certain tables and speaking very quickly to some of the occupants. If she was giving the same message to all of them, it was having very different effects. Sometimes, the recipient would laugh, or sometimes look grim, or sometimes just sigh. Several just nodded and waved the waitress on about her task. All of them started to look through wallets or bags. Very weird.

She dismissed the room and returned to her thoughts, mostly focusing on the dancing she just did, and how well everything was going. She also day-dreamed about more kissing, but as time went on, details about the room kept coming into focus, as if she was seeing things for the first time. She noted that the more well-known people, the politicians and celebrities were all sitting at white tables near the center of the room. Shouldn't they have tried for black tables? Her brain began to note that the DJ's platform had a strategic advantage as far as viewing the room – it would be tough to surprise anyone there. Anyone trying to attack the center would have to deal with the ninjas in the ceiling as well as snipers from the surrounding maze.

Snipers? What the hell was she thinking about? She was an 18-year girl on a date with her one and only love! She should be lost in thoughts of a moon-lit walk and deep kissing in the shadows, maybe even some naughtier fantasies. As she tried to indulge herself, the room kept coming back into focus. She began to recognize more people at the white tables from the TV – members of the Diet and even the Cabinet – people she never would have recognized on the street. There were several people now generating visible auras too. As Akane watched, the number of visible auras increased. There were that many high powered martial artists in the room? She shook her head to clear it. Damn, all those ninjas in the ceiling were starting to give her a headache…

Her racing thoughts paused for a second as she changed her world view, and then raced on. Either the ninjas were suddenly clumsy, or her hearing had improved by a factor of four. People were not generating visible auras – she was seeing them in their normal state (something that usually required a little bit of effort). Her mind was terribly focused, like she had had too much caffeine. Something had changed in the room, heightening her senses and her mind. She took a deep breath and smelled incense. Her hyped up mind immediately jumped to Hideo and his magic candles. She turned her attention to the candle on her table. It was different. Before the candles were pure white, but this one had a slight tinge of pink to it – you'd never notice it unless you were looking for it (and, of course, she was looking for it now). Besides, candles melted, not gained an inch as they burned. Impossibly, someone had come by in the last five minutes and switched out the candle without her noticing.

She immediately began to scan the room for either Hideo or Shizuka, first by sight (which had also improved – the room was no longer dark), then by aura. She didn't see him, but there was something familiar about a tall man across the room caddy-corner to her table. She had started to focus on him, when a clatter of metal dishes sounded off to her right. A tall male waiter bearing a very large domed serving platter exited from the maze and approached Akane. She couldn't help but be mesmerized by the man – he cast two images. One image was a tall attractive man, but the second was of a creature that stood about 125 cm tall. It was covered in red fur and wearing a baseball jacket and bicycle pants. Otherwise, it looked like a large fox walking upright. There were no shoes on its paws.

She groaned. Her brain would have liked to dismiss the creature. "Not now!" she thought. "I am on a date! I don't want to do this right now!" But denial was not an option; her mind would not reject what she obviously saw. It was a Kitsune, right out of the folk tales, and it was coming toward her. "I'm looking right through the illusion its creating," she thought again.

The Kitsune approached her unknowingly wearing its double image. "Excuse me, ma'am, but the chef wanted to extend a special courtesy. Please except this treat on the house," it said while it set the heavy platter down on the table.

Akane looked at it and sighed. Then she did the only thing she could do – she reached out (rejecting the image of the man), grabbed the Kitsune by its neck and shoved it under the domed lid as quickly as possible. She then clamped the lid and platter hard to the table. There was a muffled explosion that nearly broke her grip. She stepped back and took off the lid.

The fox lay dazed (but blinking) on the platter looking somewhat burnt. The clothes it wore were whole, but also looking a little burnt. The very tip of its tail was lit with a small flame. Akane licked the tips of her fingers and put the flame out, but that was the extent of her mercy. "I'm on a date," she thought. "I'm on my very first real date. I'm on a date with Ranma, and this thing decides it going to sabotage it." Very uncharacteristicly, she sighed again. She did not want to sigh. She wanted to get toweringly angry and smash the fox into a wall. She wanted to break something (preferably the fox), but the incense would not let her. It was forcing her mind to be clear and stop her from feeding the Kitsune with her emotions.

She had just let out a third sigh when Mami approached her. "Are you O.K., Ms, Tendo?"

"I'm as O.K. as I'm going to be with this thing here. Any ideas what to do with it?" Akane asked.

"A couple," Mami admitted. She placed a paper talisman on its head and took a roll of duct tape to its arms and legs. Then the waitress started to drag the Kitsune away by the scruff of the neck. "By the way," Mami said turning back to Akane, "Mr. Saotome's clothes are almost dry. He should be back shortly."

Akane felt a little thrill at that. The incense suppressed emotions the Kitsune could feed on, but not all emotions. That made her feel better too. "Thank you, Mami."

Akane sat down again as the waitress dragged the captive away and tried to forget about what just happened. Unfortunately, her senses were still heightened and another Kitsune had just entered from the maze again. "Great," she thought, "I'm in the middle of a running gag." This time, it wasn't approaching her though – this one was trying its luck at another table. "Well, that's nice," she thought. "At least I'm not the only target." She debated hurling the platter the first one left behind, but she wasn't sure where the explosive would end up. Turned out, she needn't have worry. A large chunk of metal (an anvil?) fell out of the ceiling and nailed the Kitsune and the serving platter it held. Akane watched dispassionately as it struggled to free itself – at least until the bomb in the serving platter went off. The explosion moved the anvil (it *was* an anvil – one of the ninjas apparently had a sense of humor) off of it, and another visibly toasted Kitsune lay on the floor. A busboy came over to it and checked it out with some concern. Once he decided it wasn't dead, he slapped another rune on it, bound it with duct tape, and dragged it away.

"Let's see how clever these things really are. Twice at bat, twice struck out," Akane thought. "They should change their strategy now." Sure enough, no more immediately appeared. "Good, but now the attack will come from somewhere else." Right on cue, an explosion came from the kitchen. A few of the customers closer to the other end of the room ran quickly in. Akane stayed put. The customers looked formidable enough.

Instead, now that she had the room memorized and the action switched from her, Akane's out-of-control brain began walking through random ideas. Eventually, she thought about what Ranma had told her earlier concerning her little light source. It took power to create it, power and control, he said. But now, under the influence of the incense, she also heard what he did not say. Basically, she was wound too tight and hurting herself and had been for a while. The light source was her power desperate to break free, but twisted and tortured until it began to glow visibly. She was prohibiting herself from realizing her true potential. But why? She didn't think that badly of herself. She was just a normal…

"I'm not normal," she said out loud. "Ranma's right, I have the strength of a gorilla, and that's when I'm *not* mad." She silently continued, "But I've always wanted to appear normal. I always wanted to be the cute, obedient daughter like Kasumi. But I've also wanted to be a martial artist, and martial artists are not cute – they are 'take control of the situation' people. I also wanted to grow up and be a proper housewife like my mom, but I'm the one who stands up and leads my class. When people want something done, they talk to me. When someone's in trouble, they come to me. I'm the girl everyone chases after, and yet I am a holy terror in a fight. Ah hell, no wonder my aura is all twisted up – I'm all twisted up." She slumped back in her chair, trying to be depressed, but that wasn't working either. The incense kept wiping away the negative emotions. She briefly thought about putting out the candle, but the Kitsunes would probably be back at this end shortly – it didn't sound like they were winning in the kitchen. She needed to be able the see the truth, no matter how much it sucked.

However, the incense cut both ways and never let up – Her mind revisited the issue again questioning whether the truth was fully discovered. The incense forced her to see that she was screwed up, but it also forced her to see what was right in her life. Akane's mind wandered further down that path – she had Ranma. She saw clearly that he loved her and had for the past year plus. While he was definitely a diamond in the rough, he was still a diamond, and a pretty bright one at that. She was popular at school because her classmates knew she cared about them and tried to return the favor. Her two best friends (besides Ranma) were not martial artists, but would dare the wrath of the Fiancée Brigade to stand by her. For that matter, she did have a number of male friends that would also stand by her (and were not secretly in love with her – thank god!). Most of all, she also had her goofy sisters who also cared about her. One of them had gone as far as sabotaging the wedding to keep her close. The eldest was determined to be a mother to her if it killed the eldest…

She sat up suddenly as the thought continued. If it killed Kasumi…she never realized before how much Kasumi did for the family, how much everyone relied on her sister, how *strong* Kasumi was – even before Kasumi had gently asserted her control of the family this past Spring. Her patient sister was the one everyone turned to for help with their burdens, and she took the weight without any hesitation. Kasumi was also the hidden martial artist in the family, watching them all show off, yet never showing her own decade of silent training until recently. Akane remembered watching in amazement as her sister's gentle hands shattered a stack of bricks and put bruises on Ranma's arms…and her sister's physical strength was nothing compared to her mental and spiritual strength.

Her thoughts continued to flow from one to the other under the influence of the incense. Remembering the mother-figure in her life also caused Akane think about her mother. Akane remembered her as a very gentle and wise woman, but Kasumi had shared the news clippings the eldest had taken from the library. In Middle School, her mom was a champion martial artist. In High School, she and Shizuka were on the national stage. When Kasumi had shown the articles to Shizuka, Shizuka had invited the three sisters to dinner one evening and spent the entire evening sharing her memories of the sisters' mother. "Shizuka was my mom's best friend and her strongest rival, and mom often won their matches when they were young. And Shizuka is strong. Was my mom stronger yet?" she thought. The incense brought back the story Happosai told of the rose bush out back (1) – "Was that story really true?" she wondered to herself. Finally, Ranma's voice came back to her from that day:

"Like Mother, like Daughter."

She reached out and took the abandoned platter in her hands. Flipping it over, she looked at the shiny surface. A beautiful young woman looked back at her; a *strong* beautiful woman, but a beautiful woman nonetheless. She started to laugh at herself for what seemed like the first time in ages. "I tried to emulate how I thought Mom and Kasumi were. Instead, I ended up exactly opposite of what I tried for, but it turns out that I ended up just like them anyway," she giggled. Then she smiled at the woman looking back. "I'm all right," she said out loud.

She held out her hand just out of sight of everyone else and brought back the ball of light. She forced herself to relax and watched the ball change from white to blue to green to red. When it became red, she forced herself to relax even further and watched it fade out, but only sort of. When she brought her other hand near where the ball should be, she could feel heat – a fair amount of heat, much like several candles together. "I wonder what else I can do with it?" she thought.

She had to drop that thought though; the Kitsune were at it again. A shimmering sound caught her attention and a black circle formed on the face of one of the half walls near her. Akane heard the soft padding of pawed feet running toward her. She immediately dropped to one knee and threw the platter at the hole like a discus. She nailed the first Kitsune as he came running out of the tunnel, slamming him back into his fellows with such force that they all disappeared back down the tunnel. Unfortunately, the lead fellow had dropped his bomb which was lit. The tunnel closed behind the bomb.

"Oh crap!" she thought, then upended the table, using it like a shield. The bomb went off with a loud boom and quite a flash, throwing the platter back at her. Actually, the noise and flash were not from just the bomb near Akane, - some of the other diners were also busy with defensive maneuvers. After a few moments, Akane peaked over the table. There was a scorch mark in the rug, and a lot of charcoal about, but, all-in-all, very little damage. She let out her breath, and thought back to the first Kitsune she caught. It had been stunned, but, again, it had suffered very little real damage due to the blast – and it had been at ground zero. "Sort of fits the stories," she thought. "Kitsune are generally tricksters, not killers. They feed on annoyance, exasperation, and chaos. There were stories about Kitsune taking things too far and getting punished by their fellows for their trespasses."

She heard fighting above her head. "Damn, these things are persistent. How many of these little gremlins are about?" The incense was at work again – tricksters do not make frontal assaults on ninjas. The ceiling was a distraction. She scanned the room quickly. From out of the maze further down the room, a cluster of Kitsunes appeared with a serving cart; three were standing on the cart armed with fire extinguishers while three were pushing it quickly. The three standing were spraying water at people, who tried to dodge. One woman stood up and charged the group though. The Kistunes caught her square with a water jet. Akane looked on in astonishment as the woman became a charging rhinoceros.

"Miscalculation!" one of the foxes yelled, and the rest scattered as the rhino took out the cart.

One of the Kitsunes ran near Akane, so she pounced on it trying to knock it out with the platter, only to have it see her and vanish in a puff of smoke. She hit the floor hard where it was, and the creature reappeared. It gave her a big sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"I think you're cute too, toots!" it said impudently, then ran off as she made a grab for it.

"Don't get angry. Don't get angry. Don't get angry." She repeated to herself. She did check herself in the shiny platter to make sure it hadn't done anything other than kiss her.

"Geez, I'm gone for ten minutes, and you're already putting moves on someone else." Ranma knelt down and grinned at Akane.

She bopped him (lightly) on the head with the platter. "You're as bad as the Kitsunes. And where have you been?"

"I had my own problems. The bathrooms are also under attack. I did introduce several Kitsunes to the concept of a 'swirlie' though," he told her. (2)

Akane burst out laughing at that.

* * *

A/N:

1) See "The Vengeance Rose" for more information if you're curious.

2) A 'swirlie' involves trying to flush someone down a toilet head first. Usually, the head doesn't fit though. Usually.


	7. The Weapon

Chapter 7: The Weapon

Tomo hid from the humans hunting for him. This wasn't going well at all. His brothers and sisters had walked into a trap. The humans had been expecting to be found and were ready for them. At least the humans were not going overboard. They were not trying to kill the Kitsunes (admittedly a hard thing to do), but several Kitsunes had been taken prisoner, which was very bad. The Elders would have to bargain for their safe return, and would not be happy with the returnees or their leaders. As it was, the leaders of this little expedition were in a lot of trouble and Tomo was grateful that he was not one of them.

The Test was happening in Nerima. All the eligible Kitunes had gone there, and the Elders were focused on the Test ground. Those who were not eligible were free of the Elders' control for one night. Some of them would visit the dreams of children and play video games with them all night. Some would spy on lovers and try to learn more about how humans ticked (although Kitsunes were also voyeurs as well). Others (like Tomo) would try and prove to the Elders that they should have been included in the Test. Personally, he was anxious for advancement, and a little sore at being excluded. He had resolved to go out and play some tricks on a few humans and steal a little power from them. Then, when the Elders saw him next, they would realize they should have included him. While he was about pulling harmless pranks, he had heard about a group of his siblings that had invaded a human entertainment complex, so he went to see what was happening, hoping to get in on the action. Well, he was in on the action all right and headed for a heap of trouble if he didn't think of something fast.

Lord Tofu was conducting the Test and would probably gain a lot of prestige from its success. Personally, Tomo had no doubts things would work in Tofu's favor. Despite being three-quarters human, Tofu was also a Kitsune too, and one of the craftier ones. Even the Elders liked him despite being a part-breed. Unfortunately, Tofu had ulterior motives for the Test. He was also using it as cover to allow two of his apprentices to have a little romantic time off. Not that this was illegal; Tofu had been very upfront with his rationale. No, the unfortunate part was that the apprentices were on site *here*. Lord Tofu had often been the one to plead the cases of some of the younger members of Kitsune society, often interceding on their behalf with the Elders. Somehow, Tomo didn't think he was going to get in the way this time.

Tomo wished he hadn't kissed the girl (although she was cute and the dress looked gorgeous on her) – he could have pled ignorance up until that point. But once he had tasted her spirit, he knew exactly who she was. All the Kitsunes at The Complex were screwed, and now Tomo could be held accountable for not correcting the problem. "Think fella!" he yelled at himself.

He heard the humans coming closer and ran into the kitchen. He knew the humans had a means of detecting illusions, so he'd have to settle for hiding. Fortunately, this particular restaurant closed at nine-thirty normally and was empty now. It looked like a coffee and dessert house. Tomo opened a walk-in refrigerator and made himself a little smaller to hide behind the food. One of the humans did peak in, but didn't see him. Once the human closed the door and walked away, Tomo let out a sigh.

The Kitsunes should never have come here. The Complex was a hiding place. The humans who came here wanted a little peace, and now that peace had been invaded. The humans would never stop until there hiding place had been secured again, which was why they were so grim right now. "C'mom guys!" he thought out loud. "This is a joke! The bombs are only flash bangs, no one is taking any serious damage. Laugh about it, damn it!"

Tomo stepped into the center of the refrigerator and resumed his normal size. He also thickened his fur against the cold air. Then he sighed to himself. "I need a game changer," he thought. "Something to turn everything upside down." He looked around the room, hoping for a little inspiration. Then his eye caught something. He walked over to it and looked at it. It was an absolute thing of beauty. He removed its cover and took it off the shelf. "The humans made this?" he thought. He held it up to his eye. "It's absolutely wonderful! How could they be capable of such loveliness?" A plan began to form in the back of his mind. He'd need help, but he was sure his fellow Kitsunes would be just as anxious to get out of the hole they dug as he would himself…

* * *

Ranma and Akane had moved their capsized table so they were secure in a corner of the central area. Akane had retrieved their candle and lit it again using her little light (set to infrared), which had impressed Ranma. Augustus Finch was also with them. The older man was one of the organizers of the Resistance (as it was), but was intrigued by Ranma's informed handling of the half-dozen or so Kitsunes that had attacked the bathroom despite the young man's age. Now the Englishman learned that the lad's significant other was also a mage of some sort, despite the fact that neither teenager believed this to be the case.

The Kitsune were sniping from the cover of the maze, despite the fact that humans were patrolling the maze. Occasionally, a group of them would charge the center, only to be repelled by the ninjas and groups holding positions like Akane and Ranma. There were also Fighters and Mages among the people in the center of the room repelling the invaders.

While they helped guard the center of the room, Augustus was filling them in on the situation: "You see, the Kitsunes are normally very regimented – much like a wolf pack (although they would hate that comparison). The Elders usually maintain a very strict discipline. Unlike a wolf-pack, the hierarchy is not decided by fighting one another, but by a series of Tests. The Elders choose who they think should change position, and then have them submit to the Test. It's a very big deal in which all the Elders watch. The thing is, when they do watch it, the rest of Kitsune society treats it as a night off. Hence, we have our current problem."

"But what do they hope to get out of this?" Akane asked.

"They are hoping to steal a bit of power and show the Kitsune Elders that they should be allowed a bit more freedom, or that they should be included in the next Test. Prestige comes from pranking one of the Others – a high ranking human like those in the center of the room – or a Mage or a mighty Fighter."

"How often is the Test held?" Ranma asked. While Tofu had given him a lot of background on Kitsunes, he never mentioned the social structure for some reason.

"About once every ten years," Finch answered.

"Which is why they are so hot to be noticed," Ranma added.

"Yes. The trouble is that they didn't expect their favorite victims to become organized. Ten years ago, the night of the Test was a major pain in the ass for all of us. None of us felt like going through that alone, so we all came together here in the hopes that they wouldn't find us," Augustus said.

"Or if they did, you could stand up against them together," Ranma commented.

The Englishman smiled grimly. "And so we are. There's fighting on all levels of The Complex right now. Where there isn't fighting, we have people hunting down the Kitsunes and taking them prisoners with the wards. What I don't understand is why they are not retreating and why this lot keeps attacking the center of the room. They can see the Others are heavily defended. What gives?"

Ranma had an answer, but he wasn't sure how to share it without giving away secrets, so he just shrugged. Then he asked, "What are you going to do with the prisoners?"

Finch sighed. "That's a good question. When it comes down to it, Kitsunes are not murderers. Although this lot is aggressive with the flash bombs, the bombs are mostly harmless – just extremely annoying. I wish they had stuck to spraying water – then we could have given them a good pounding and dropped it. The use of weapons sort of complicates things. Some of the Mages are working on a way to get the prisoners to promise to leave us alone, but they are having a trouble figuring out how to Bind the Kitsunes without knowing their proper names or how to include such a large varied group of people in the Bind."

Akane spoke up then: "Actually, why not have them promise never to set foot in The Complex again? Or the building of The Complex? It's nice and well defined."

"And add that they are not allowed to seek revenge for tonight's loss," Ranma tossed in.

"Not bad," Finch said. "We can use The Complex as a safe harbor on the next Test."

"At least against the one's that attacked tonight anyway," Ranma qualified.

"I wonder if we can get it to include the whole Kitsune Nation?" Finch thought out loud.

"No," Ranma said firmly. Finch looked at him curiously. "On principle alone, the elders of any nation, metaphysical or physical, would never give up so much ground for the misdeeds of a few children – and that's what we have here tonight, the child Kitsunes. This lot is very inexperienced. Their tricks are extremely simple; there's nothing complex about throwing bombs or spraying water. Adult Kitsunes would have tampered with the food, used a few random curses, and gotten a lot more bang for the buck. This lot keeps attacking the center because they want to capture one of the Others and use that person to bargain for the release of the captives. They are not employing any real strategy."

"How do you know that?" Finch asked with great surprise.

"Ranma's very good with strategy and reading the battlefield," Akane said, backing him up.

Finch was impressed that Ranma could identify the Kitsunes' motivation. "So what do you think we should do?" Finch asked the young man.

Ranma decided this was getting too serious to let it continue, so he was going to have to show his hand – a little. He needed to get the captives free and remove the desperation from the battle. "Go to the captives and get the concession from them that they promise never to attack The Complex again. Also make them swear never to seek revenge for tonight or have others of their kind seek revenge against The Complex or its members. You have to get them to swear by their Tribe – that's the only way to Bind them without knowing their proper names. You can use the threat of summoning the Kitsune Elders to bargain for their release as a means of motivation – no one on their side or our side wants that. As soon as they promise, release them. When their brothers and sisters see that the captives are being released unharmed, they'll probably retreat. If nothing else, they'll ease up a bit."

Finch nodded thoughtfully. "When this is all over, I want to have a long talk with you, young man."

"Not tonight, I'm on a date," Ranma shot back.

Finch laughed at that. "All right, you have my contact info. Now, can you give me some cover, so I can reach the dance floor?"

Ranma nodded and his hand began to glow.

"Are you sure you're not a Mage?" Finch asked.

"Let me get back to you on that," the young man answered. "Ready?" Finch nodded. "Go!" Ranma shouted.

As Finch ran toward the center, a tunnel materialized in the low wall and five Kitsunes tore out after him. Ranma threw a ball of Chi at them, scattering the Kitsunes. Another tunnel appeared and another five materialized all carrying flash bombs. Akane called her ball of heat into being and projected it in front of the leading Kitsune. When the bomb the Kitsune carried intersected the ball, the flash bomb detonated, stunning the Kitsune and tossing her to the side. The next Kitsune intersected the invisible ball and had its (Akane couldn't tell the sex) bomb detonate. The third repeated the mistake the first two did, as did the fourth. Akane was reminded of one of Nabiki's computer games watching them. The fifth Kitsune avoided the ball of heat by pitching his bomb before the spot the others had detonated. He threw it too high due to his fast-thinking panic, missing Finch completely. The bomb soared toward the center of the room. As its arc reached the apex, a hand shot out of the ceiling with what looked like a tennis racket. The racket slammed the bomb back into the Kitsune's hands where Akane's ball of heat caught up with it. The flash bomb exploded, throwing the Kitsune against the couple's table. Akane noticed that score cards were held up from behind one of the white up-turned tables in the center of the room. She read "10", "10", "10", "10", "10", and "9". However, a hand dropped down from the ceiling a few moments later that said "10" and caused Akane to give a short laugh.

Human and Kitsune parties scrambled after the stunned, the Kitsunes pitching more bombs, the Humans using shields and blunt weapons. Finch leaped over the white up-ended tables surrounding the dance floor. "Not bad for an older man," Akane thought. She could see him start to call select others over including Mr. Roth. Ranma meanwhile was retrieving the dazed Kitsune from the other side of the table.

For the first time, Akane took a real long look at one of the enemy. Immediately, she saw that it was similar to a child, about eleven or twelve years old. Its green eyes were dazed and there was red hair on top of its head, much like a human child. The chest, arms, and legs were covered with soft red fur. The face was bare of fur except for the tufts at the cheeks, and the nose was shaped like a human's, but the texture was more like that of a puppy. The creature wore a blue soccer jacket and jeans. Akane's heart went out to it immediately. "Ranma…" she said.

Ranma looked at her with understanding in his eyes, even as he placed a rune on the Kitsune's forehead. "Yeah, I know. At least the ones that attacked me in the bathroom were older, but they were still children, even if they were obnoxious children. Don't forget this one was armed with a flash bomb. It intended this fate for us. It's still a supernatural prankster that has to be handled firmly." Akane just nodded as Ranma bound the arms and legs, then sat the little Kitsune upright against the table.

As Akane watched, the Kitsune's eyes regained their focus. "What's going to happen to me?" it (no, "he" Akane decided) asked.

Ranma looked thoughtfully at the creature for a moment, then spoke: "The way I see it, you've got two choices. You can promise right now by your Tribe to quit the fight and swear never to again enter this building called 'The Complex' and never to seek revenge against anyone here, or…"

"I can't abandon my sisters or brothers," the Kitsune cut him off.

"Or you can wait until morning when the Elders have been summoned to bargain for your release," Ranma finished.

The Kitsune's eyes became wide as dinner plates. "You can't be serious! Do you know the trouble you'll bring down on your heads if you summon the Elders?"

Ranma raised an eyebrow at the little creature. "I've got a fair idea. More importantly, do you know the trouble *you* will be in when an Elder has to bargain to free you?"

"I'll be in trouble with the Elders if I abandon the others anyway," the Kitsune shot back.

"But what if the other captured Kitsunes were all given the same choice?" Akane joined in.

The Kitsune paused, "You mean that?"

"Yeah, we do," Ranma said. "You get to quit the fight, and know that all your fellows have a way out that doesn't involve the Elders."

"Deal!" the creature almost shouted.

"What?" Ranma asked.

"Deal. You win! Let me go! Let's move on!" the fox-child said again.

"Swear first!" Akane said.

The creature sulked a little. "You were suppose to just rip the rune off my head so I could escape – you felt sorry for me!"

"Still do," Akane said. "But that doesn't mean my brains dribbled out of my head because I think you're cute. Now, swear."

The creature let out a string of expletives that caused Akane to blush. Ranma just took a few notes.

"All right," Ranma said standing up. "He's made his choice. He can explain himself to the Elders."

"Whoa, wait a second!" the fox yelled. Ranma cocked an eyebrow at it.

"Fine," the child said petulantly. "I swear by my Kitsune tribe never to set hand or foot inside The Complex or the building it is in again. I also swear by my tribe never to seek revenge for this night."

"Swear to quit the fight as well," Ranma commanded.

"What are you, a lawyer?" the creature demanded. Ranma just held his eye. "Oh, all right. I swear by my tribe to quit the fight right now. Satisfied?"

"No, but it will have to do." Ranma bent down and removed the rune. The duct tape immediately vanished from the Kitsune.

The little creature stood and stretched, and then looked at Ranma. "Remember, you have to make sure every captured Kitsune is given the same choice."

"I never promised anything," Ranma told him with a smirk. As the creature's eyes became very wide, he continued "But I will anyway."

"Hmph. You could be a Kitsune yourself, lawyer man. Toodles!" The creature vanished with a pop.

"Think it will work?" Akane asked.

"Mostly," he told her. "We are still in for a bumpy ride though."

Akane laughed. "Aren't we always?"

* * *

Toc appeared on the 20th floor of the building. He had promised the young couple never to set foot in the building again, but he would have to leave the building first before that prohibition kicked in. He was also out of the fight, but that didn't mean he couldn't give surveillance information. He couldn't seek revenge for this night, but the night wasn't over yet. He knew the bounds of his oath very well.

Kim appeared next to him. She had been captured earlier in the night. Toc looked at her surprised. "You escaped?" he asked.

"No, I swore to quit the fight and not seek revenge. The human forgot to order me out of the building. Most of the others aren't so lucky. They were Bound a little more completely."

"Hmph. At least the human is keeping his word," he said. She looked at him, so he expanded: "The human who caught me said he'd make sure everyone else was given the same choice." Then he sighed. "We are going to be the laughing stock of the Tribe though – beaten by humans."

"Yeah, well, we will be in good company then. But, it's not over," she told him in a sweet voice.

"Huh?"

"How's your power? Up for a little duplication?" she asked.

"Yeah, I suppose so. Why?"

"Tomo found something. He called it a game changer, and I think he's right. Come with me. We can keep our oaths and still get some satisfaction, even if we cannot get revenge."

* * *

Next: The Final Battle


	8. The Final Battle

Chapter 8: The Final Battle

The ferocity of the Kitsune attacks had changed. They were no longer trying to get anyone in the middle but seemed to content themselves with mild surprise attacks in the maze. People wanting a rest from the fight were coming into the central area. Mr. Roth reported that several of The Complex's establishments seemed to be clear of Kitsunes and service was completing (carefully) there. Many of the Fighters, Mages, and Shape Changers were switching to floors the Kitsunes were still on. Freeing the captive Kitsunes (after getting their vows) seemed to remove the desperation from the Kitsunes. Now they were just back to pulling pranks.

Ranma was not convinced though. He smelled a rat. The Kitsunes had lost big time tonight, and he was sure they would try one more stunt. Maybe not to get revenge so much as to even the score against the humans. Besides, why else were they trying to herd everyone into the central area?

"Akane, do you want to go take a walk?" he asked her.

"Yes, but not yet. I can tell this isn't over. I've never run from anything in my life, Ranma. And I look over my shoulder enough already. I'm not fleeing Kitsunes for the rest of my life. This ends here and now."

"Stubborn woman," Ranma grumbled.

"Ha. You're one to talk," Akane snipped.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Ranma sniped back.

"It means that I can fetch a glass of cold water and there will be two stubborn women sitting here," Akane said smugly.

For once, Ranma was at a loss for words in an insult contest. Akane had not refuted the claim, only included himself. He began to laugh as she smirked.

They had set up their table again, and kept the magic candle lit. The others had done the same, and Mr. Roth ordered service to resume. He figured people might as well finish their meals properly. People hunting the Kitsunes in the maze took breaks and had dessert as well. Caffeinated coffee was the beverage of choice.

Mami had brought the couple some tea and two pieces of chocolate cake. Ranma had settled the bill after arguing with Mami regarding the low total. She explained that the pricing was based on a person's income and how well a person executed their obligations to The Complex. Ranma's words of advice to Finch had completely changed the tone of the contest, for which Management was grateful. That was that. Ranma gave up and just threw in a healthy tip using the special envelope Tofu had given him. Normally, tipping was bad form, but there were ways around it if the occasion warranted it, and the low bill warranted it.

Akane smiled at him. "Cheer up. It just means that we can do this again sooner," she told him.

"Deal. So long as you wear that dress again," he replied, bring a light blush to her cheeks.

* * *

Alex was packing up his gear. The young couple looked to be winding up their meal and he needed to be in place. Still, he wasn't in a hurry either. He wanted this mess with the Kitsunes settled – he absolutely hated having unfinished business.

* * *

Mr. Roth was checking on the cleaning crew in the Villa Margarita. His brothers were doing inventory. The surveillance equipment was out in the Cookie Palace, so he knew where the Kitsunes were. He thought about going to stop things, but decided this was necessary. He really didn't want The Complex to become a Kitsune rallying cry…

* * *

Mr. Finch had arranged for another tuxedo to be waiting for him in the bathroom. All-in-all, he had to say it was a pretty good evening. He had met an interesting couple, gotten some payback for the last Test, and acquitted himself honorably tonight. Now if the silly things would just get this party started…

* * *

Tomo had divided up the Kitsunes into two groups. The first group was to prank the ninjas in the ceiling, the second was to prank Geppetto's. He had decided to just focus on where Lord Tofu's apprentices were and forget about the rest of the establishments. He didn't know exactly how this was going to go down, but he couldn't leave things as they stood with the humans winning. Sometimes, you just had to go with chaos as your best chance…

* * *

Ranma felt the power surge and squeezed Akane's hand. "It's show time," he whispered to her.

* * *

Alex was the first causalty. He never saw the shot coming.

* * *

Mr. Roth was just walking out the door of Geppetto's kitchen. Two Kitsunes were waiting for him.

* * *

Augustus Finch had just finished his dessert, when a hand just rose from his plate and took him down.

* * *

Tomo moved away from Alex's side quickly. He got up on the DJ's stage, threw back his head, and yelled "FOOD FIGHT!"

* * *

Ranma and Akane were dodging flying cream pies as best they could. The Kitsunes were everywhere with them. The couple started to upend the table again, when they noticed that they had their own supply on the table. Similar stacks of pies were appearing on other tables. They looked at each other and then smirked. "Might as well go out in a blaze of glory!" Ranma told his fiancée as he grabbed a pie.

Alex grabbed a nearby pie and slammed Tomo with it. "That's my stage, dummy!" he yelled at the Kitsune. Tomo grabbed another pie and hit Alex again. The two were picking up bits of cream from the floor and throwing it at each other.

Finch reached under the table and pulled out a female Kitsune. They both grabbed pies from the table and hit each other in the face.

A ninja fell out of the ceiling only to have a chain of Kitsunes shoot after him and stop his fall. Once he was safely on the ground, the chain all threw pies at him. Of course, they themselves were now targets. Above them, people could hear the slapping of pies hitting things.

Mr. Roth saw his brother go down and turned to grab a weapon. He immediately saw that the Kitsunes had left him a stash as well. He ran to the sink and threw cold water in his face. Two Mr. Roth's turned from the sink, each grabbed two pies and ran out into the fracas.

No one, Human or Kitsune, stayed out of the fight. Several of the busboys were copying the Kitsunes, having appropriated a serving cart and using it as a mobile point of advantage. They circled a cart of Kitsunes endlessly. Mami and Alex were trying to regain the high ground from Tomo and company, who refused to back down, despite looking more and more like snow-foxes. Several of the Others had tried to pull some tables into defensive barricades, but it was useless against the high lobs the Kitsunes threw, so they gave up and began a frontal assault on their attackers. The causalties on both sides were heavy, but, happily enough, it was just their dignities that took a beating. The Mages fared no better than the Others, the Magics they had prepared could do very little against coconut cream pies. The Fighters held their own, but could only use their improvised shields to block one attacker at a time and the Kitsunes made sure to double-team them. No one used any weapon but the pies. Off to the side, Kim, Toc, and other Kitsunes who had been captured earlier, but not properly Banished, kept teleporting the duplicated pies and arming *both* sides (technically keeping out of the fight).

Of course, it was Ranma who caused things to get really out of control. He was more or less successful from getting hit so far (his clothes only showing secondary transfer), but the floor was starting to get slippery. Two Kitsunes took exception to his apparent invulnerability and aimed for him (one from each side), but he slipped trying to dodge both of them. The Kitsunes, who happened to be from different tribes, nailed each other. Meanwhile, Ranma lost control of his pie and it sailed off, only to hit a woman five meters to his right. The woman immediately changed her target to Ranma, and hit him with her pie. Akane took exception to this, but missed the woman, hitting a man standing to the woman's right. The woman's table began firing at the couple. Meanwhile, the two quarreling Kitsunes were also drawing in Kitsune allies. Alex and Augustus ran to support Akane and Ranma, all the while taking pot-shots at Kitsunes. Despite the Protocol, Human political rivalries began to come to the surface. Kitsune rivalries also bubbled up. Within a matter of thirty seconds, the Kitsune/Human war had degenerated into a war between the left and right sides of the center room; Humans and Kitsunes fighting against Kitsunes and Humans.

Finally, the last pie ran out, the suppliers exhausted. Everyone, Humans and Kitsunes alike, stopped and stared at each other in shock. Tomo took stock of the situation, and then turned to Akane who was standing next to him. "You know, Toots? You are still cute in that dress."

Akane looked down at her dress, the dress she (and others) had gone to a lot of trouble to obtain. It was absolutely covered in cream topping, top to bottom. She could feel pie crust in her hair, and filling running down her leg. Her first date with Ranma, and this is how she ended up. She wanted to get angry, but there was something about the little creature's bearing that made her stop and think. Of all the things that could have happened tonight, she ended up in a food fight. Not dodging weapons, not shoving meddling parents away, not even getting into an argument with Ranma. A food fight; something that was totally beyond expectations. In some weird way, it was totally apropos to her relationship with Ranma, which was totally beyond expectations in and of itself. She started to laugh and covered her mouth, but Ranma, sensing the "Winds of Change", gently pulled her hand away from her mouth with a smile. The short laugh escaped and became longer. As she laughed, Ranma and Tomo joined her, and so did the others nearby. It spread across the room in all directions and even the ninjas joined in. As everyone laughed together, the laughter became louder and freer, until it completely overwhelmed the room – Humans and Kitsunes sharing a little trip into the absurd and coming out a little better for it.

Tomo felt the power increase. He felt his sisters and brothers restored. They were no better for the evening now, but no worse either. That would do just fine. He crowed his victory at the ceiling and every Kitsune joined him, to the amusement of the Humans. Then he leaped into the air and yelled: "Peace to you all, and Good Night!" There was a shimmering sound and every Kitsune vanished from the room, and, with them, all the remains of the pies.

Ranma looked down at what had been a cream covered suit. Instead he saw a few patches of dust that he brushed away. Akane looked good in her dress, with just a small patch of dust on the side that he carefully brushed away as well. Everyone around him look astounded. Akane looked at him with question marks in her eyes. "The pies were just Kitsune magic," he explained. "Just a little something made of dust to fool us. When they pulled their power away, the pies became dust again. I think one of them grew up tonight, because that was a trick worthy of an adult Kitsune." He heard chuckles start to ripple around the room as people repeated his comments.

"And how do you happen to know so much about Kitsunes, young man," Mr. Finch asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ranma shrugged. "Oh, just a book I read somewhere," he answered. Akane detected the lie, but let him be.

Someone else didn't though. Tomo popped back, floating in the air before Ranma. "Hah!" he exclaimed. "The only book you read without it being assigned is a Manga. Still, you're right about the pies." With a flourish he produced a pie. "This is the original!" he said, and promptly hit Ranma in the face with it. He then grabbed Ranma and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. "Give my best to Lord Tofu," the creature whispered so that only Akane and Ranma heard him. Then he popped back out of sight.

The room was stunned. Ranma realized he was on-stage and was determined not to give the little twit any satisfaction, so he used the Soul of Ice again. With the utmost aplomb, he motioned for a napkin. Alex handed him several. He cleaned himself off a little and addressed the room. "This is not the first time I've said this, and it won't be the last, but I *will* get even with that Kitsune." The room broke out in laughter as Ranma continued to clean himself off, apparently with the utmost dignity.

* * *

Akane sat outside the Men's bathroom. She was sitting on a chest-of-drawers high enough that her feet were just off the ground. Ranma was inside getting cleaned up. The pie had missed his shirt and tie for the most part, but the jacket needed a little cleaning, something Mr. Roth assured the young couple would only take ten minutes (again). Meanwhile, the attendant was helping Ranma wash the remains of the pie out of Ranma's hair.

Akane heard a pop next to her. She turned her head to see the little Kitsune was back. "You realize, if Ranma comes out, he will do his best to turn you into a rug?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Nah," Tomo answered. "He'll just do his best to give me a noogie (1). He might even succeed. I just wanted to check on you before I left."

"Me?" she asked.

"Yeah, you. I appreciated your laughter back there. I wanted people to laugh at everything. When you led the laughter, you made a lot of things right, then and there. I know we interrupted your date, and I just wanted to make sure everything was back on track," Tomo explained.

"Yes, it is. Everything's fine," Akane responded.

"Good. Then I'll leave you be," he said leaping into the air and floating in front of her. "By the way, if things don't work out with Mr. Macho, feel free to look me up. Just ask for Tomo," he added with a mocking bow.

Akane noticed that Tomo had floated just out of reach when he said that, but she wasn't angry – the little creature was just way too over the top to be angry with. "We are not even the same species!" she said instead.

"True, but that's never stopped many couples – just check out the folk stories." He gave her a wink and vanished.

Akane gave a light laugh. Hopefully, that was truly the end. Admittedly, the Kitsunes were cute, but required way too much patience. Ranma stretched (and snapped) her patience enough, thank you very much. Besides, Akane was into "human" – and Ranma was very human, in any form.

As she waited, she tried to imagine the type of person who would marry a Kitsune. They would have to be adventurous souls, wanting something beyond the ordinary. They would also have to be able to look deep under the surface – either that or into bestiality. Of course, that wasn't necessarily true though. Akane was starting to remember some of the stories; the Kitsune took and kept human forms with their lovers. Someone who only looked at the surface could fall for one easy enough.

Of course, what about the children of such unions? What would they be like? Not in one world or another. It might be a very lonely existence. These near immortals would have to move around a lot if they lived in the mortal world, and what would their lifespans be like? On the other hand, Akane seemed to recall that the stories did mention children of such unions finding happiness, so maybe it wasn't that bad being half-fox.

Something prickled through her mind. "Fox." That word had come up in conversation before any of this mess with the Kitsunes had started. But where? She thought about it. Oh yes, Daran Hawk had referred to the Doc by the nickname "Fox". She wondered about that. Tofu didn't have red hair, or unusual eyes to warrant that particular nickname. There was so much she didn't know about her brother-in-law to be. He showed up in their lives about a dozen or so years ago out of the blue. He had enough cash to set up shop and make himself right at home. She knew he was a mage (Kasumi had confided that he was very talented).

Ranma had admitted that Tofu had a secret, one bigger than being a mage. Ranma wouldn't tell her, and she was sure Tofu and Kasumi wouldn't tell her for the same reason: she was suppose to figure it out herself. It was unlikely Nabiki knew, or she would have held it over Akane's head. Ranma had joked about Tofu having a Jusenkyo curse. He could be trying to mislead her, but Ranma didn't lie very well (she could usually see through his stories), so that probably wasn't it.

'Lord Ono'. Both Mr. Roth and Tomo called Tofu that. Why? Was Tofu nobility? That would explain how he had money to setup the clinic. Of course, not all nobles had money in this day and age, and why would a Kitsune care about a human title? She'd have to think on it some more….

* * *

The attendant had just finished helping Ranma and went to get Ranma's jacket. Ranma stood looking ostensibly at the mirror, but he was remembering the conversation he had with Augustus in this room earlier while they were waiting for dry clothes…

"There's that many of us? Man, I guess there really is no cure for the curse…" Ranma said with a little bit of awe.

"Why do you insist on calling it a curse?" Augustus asked.

"What else would you call involuntarily being forced into a strange shape?" Ranma challenged.

Augustus shrugged. "In my case, an inconvenience," he said.

Ranma looked a little stunned. "You just lost your favorite tuxedo. How many sets of clothes do you lose during the week due to getting hit with a stream of water?" he asked.

"This is the first time in a long while actually," Finch told him. "I make sure to spend an hour a day in my other form. Once you accept the ability, the accidental changes cut way down, and the magic works to help you avoid them. Besides, this was hardly accidental."

"What do you mean the magic helps you avoid them? They call Jusenkyo the 'Pools of Sorrow' for a reason," Ranma stated.

"Yes, the ill-informed like the Joketsuzoku and the Guides call it that. Those of us in the know call it the 'Pools of Life'. Why, there are tribes of people in China like the Musk who revere Jusenkyo. It's a place of re-birth," Augustus said.

"Re-birth?" the young man asked.

"Re-birth, Ranma," Finch said firmly. "Each magic pool in Jusenkyo formed tragically. A creature drowned there that did not want to die. But Jusenkyo heard it and gave it a chance to be re-born through others. The waters preserve the very genetic code of the creatures, and allow it to rise again."

"But it does it by swapping out *my* genetic code," Ranma complained.

"But it doesn't lose your code either, it brings your genome back when you return your birth shape. That's the reason the magic sometimes pulls water to you. It wants both genomes to have a chance. Besides, you are 'reimbursed' for your trouble," Augustus stated.

"Excuse me?" Ranma said with disbelief.

"You're young and feel put upon," Augustus started. "I have a longer life and a little better vantage. When I was young, I was what you would call a 'troubled youth'. I got into all sorts of messes and illegal activities. Finally, I caused enough problems that I needed to leave home for a bit. So I wandered for five years as a wastrel, never giving a thought to anyone, not even myself. Eventually, I ended up in Beijing. I had attached myself to an expedition to search for a legendary city of bird people, which was good, because I had several bookies looking for me at the time. As we poked around the various mountains, I became separated from my group and, of course, I ended up in Jusenkyo. At the time I was thirsty, and you can guess what happened after that."

"I'd like to know how an African zebra ended up in China," Ranma commented.

"I did wonder myself," Augustus admitted. "So I made a point of learning, but that's another story. Anyway, to make a long story short, I was rescued by the Guides. To thank them for their hospitality, I pulled a knife on them once they changed me back." Ranma's eyes widened. Finch continued: "They started to lead me to the 'Spring of the Drowned Man', but I became lost again and soon found myself wandering in the wilderness for a long time. Eventually, a woman found me and led me back to her village. I remembered my manners this time as these were the only people I knew the location of. They were a good and patient people and eventually rubbed off on me. The woman who found me became my first wife and was with me for over thirty years before the Good Lord saw fit to call her home. During that time, I eventually found out where I was, but was in no hurry to leave – I was happy with my new family. The people were good with handicrafts, and I worked with them to get their goods to foreign markets. Over time, I made a bundle of money and made sure that the village benefited accordingly. I stay in constant contact with my family there even though I've settled in Japan now."

"Not bad for a wastrel," Ranma said.

"Not bad indeed," Augustus agreed. "But the point, Ranma, is that I was a vicious life going nowhere, ran into Jusenkyo, and ended up a 'someone' with a loving family. The village loved and respected my other shape, and I used it frequently to help my people. Now, one could say that I was lucky, but if you ask any Shape-Changer out there tonight, all of them will tell you the same thing: their circumstances greatly improved after their dip in a Jusenkyo pool. Every single one of them, even the ones who thought they were happy."

Ranma thought about it. "Still, it would have been nice to have a choice," he grumbled.

"But, you do have a choice, Mr. Saotome. The 'Pool of the Drowned Man' is still there."

"I thought it didn't work," Ranma stated.

"It works very well, but Jusenkyo prevents you from reversing the shape-change for a few years. Judging from the stories of others, you will find yourself getting sidetracked by the strangest things until a few years have passed. Then you're allowed to make your choice. I myself know of one man who reversed his shape-change about twenty years ago. But I'll warn you, if you reject Jusenkyo, everything it's given you will also be retracted. You better be sure you want to go back to how you were before. Look at your life carefully – you may have already been given warnings of what you'll lose if you break the magic."

Ranma felt a coldness about his heart. "Are you serious?" he asked in very hushed tones.

"Very serious, Ranma. The man who cured himself, almost lost his wife – a wife he met because of his shape-change. When she was on her deathbed, he ran back to Jusenkyo and threw himself back into the original pool. His wife recovered slowly after that, but she recovered completely. They live very happily in the United States now."

* * *

Ranma's musings ended. Then he thought about where he was before Jusenkyo – traveling without a home, being tortured regularly by an inept father, and friendless. Without the help of the curse, would he have been engaged to Akane, or would have Nabiki snapped him up as a chance for profit? Would Akane be free of the Loser Patrol? Would Ryoga be alive and, if not happy, at least moving in that direction? What would have happened at the Amazon village? Would he have been tricked into being a breeding stud? Hell, would he even been alive now?

As he looked at himself in the mirror, another memory came back to him. At Prince Toma's island, Ranma had to choose between keeping his own curse, or having Akane cursed. He chose to save Akane. It was apparent then what Jusenkyo's 'reimbursement' was. Not Akane's life, for she would be strong enough to defy any magic. Not Akane's Love, for that could not be compelled. It was the changes to Ranma himself that were Jusenkyo's trade-off to him. The changes that allowed him to love and accept love, to place another person above himself.

As he thought about that, he continued to stare at the image of himself in the mirror. It may have been his imagination, but he swore he saw a second image there beside his own – an image of Ranko smiling at him. Without her, he might have become a copy of Genma. So be it. "All right," he said out loud. "You can stay."

At that moment, the door opened and the attendant walked in. "Did you say something, Sir?" the man asked.

"Just talking to myself," Ranma answered.

The attendant shrugged. "It happens, sir. I plan on spending a good deal of time tonight convincing myself that none of this happened." Ranma laughed at that and the attendant smiled. Then he held out the jacket for Ranma. "Lady Akane is waiting for you outside, Sir. It's time to go."

"Yes it is, sir," Ranma said to the attendant.

* * *

Ranma and Akane returned to their table to pick up Akane's jacket. The bar was still open, and there were a few people still at their tables. Mr. Finch saw them from across the room and waved. The young couple smiled and waved back. The DJ was long gone.

"You know, Ranma. We really should go to that little Italian place again," Akane remarked.

"Count on it," Ranma said and smiled at her.

As they turned to leave, Akane burst out laughing. The six people at the white table across from them were at it again. They held up score cards again for the couple: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, and 9.5. The woman next to the grumpy old man gave him a shove with her elbow. The old man actually laughed and flipped the card around: 10.

Ranma joined Akane in the laughter and the couple bowed like stage performers to the white table. The two then turned grandly and marched back through the maze of tables, planters, and columns to the elevator. A 45 second trip brought them back to the lobby where Mr. Roth waited to greet them.

"I trust everything was satisfactory, Mr. Saotome?"

"Yes, it was Mr. Roth. Although you need to have a chat with the Stage Show and encourage them to be a little less animated next time," Ranma said flippantly. Akane just rolled her eyes and thanked Mr. Roth. He smiled at them both and they turned and left the building.

"Where to now, Ranma?" Akane asked.

"Well, Daran's suppose to pick us up in half-an-hour. I thought we could go visit a park the Doc told me about," he answered.

"Sounds wonderful," she replied.

* * *

A/N:

(1) A "Noogie" is the painful sensation caused by the rubbing of someone's knuckle or fist into some else's head.

We are not done yet - one more chapter and then the Epilogues...


	9. With Friends like these

Chapter 9: With friends like these…

The park was a lovely bit of well maintained greenery. There was a central lake that usually had fountains running, but, fortunately, they were turned off at night. The pavement around the lake was wide and well lit, showing off the various flowering shrubs and other plants. Ranma was telling Akane about the discussion he had with Mr. Finch from the first time he was in the bathroom.

"So, Mousse is wrong then?" Akane asked.

"It seems that way. The real reason people don't get cured is because they don't want to after a while, and Jusenkyo stalls them long enough until they can see what's really on the table."

"And what's really on the table for you, Ranma?" Akane's eyes had a worried look.

"It's not you, if that's what you're wondering – at least not directly. You're not being compelled if that's what is worrying you," he told her.

"Hah! You should know by now it will take more than a bit of magic to make me fall in love with someone," she told him full of pride.

"I'm aware, lady," Ranma told her in a mock-suffering tone. Then his voice turned serious and he pulled her to face him. "Akane, I love you very much and, while I'm not ready to get married tomorrow, I cannot see me marrying anyone else. I want to marry you, and only you. I just want to wait a little longer before formally asking you."

Akane looked deep into his eyes and broke out in a blush, but she didn't break eye contact. "I know that Ranma, and I love you too. I feel the same way about marriage. In a few years is fine. I'd like to grow a little more first, too." Ranma smiled and kissed her.

When they finished the kiss, Ranma stroked her cheek and resumed the walk. "So, let me ask you a question, Akane – could you ever love someone like my father?"

"Ranma, not to be disrespectful to my father-in-law-to-be," Akane answered. "But Genma is not capable of love, not real love anyway. He always puts his well-being first. He's not necessarily an evil man, but he's not a good man either."

Ranma sighed. "I wish I could disagree with you Akane," he said. "But what you said is true. And Pops is the only real role model I ever had. He trained me to take care of myself first and foremost. He kept me isolated from other people and never allowed me to learn any different."

"But, you're not your father, Ranma," Akane stated.

"No, I'm not, but why?" Ranma asked. "Admittedly, I can always improve, but I do worry about other people, even strangers. If someone's sad or unhappy, I want to fix things. Where the hell did I learn that?"

Akane was silent for a few moments, then said: "Maybe it's just part of who you are?"

"Maybe, but looking back, I was pretty self-absorbed before Jusenkyo," he confessed.

"So, you think Jusenkyo changed you to notice other people?" Akane asked.

"Yeah, I do," Ranma confirmed. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I'd be just like Pops without Jusenkyo, and now I know the truth. Jusenkyo changed not just my shape, but my spirit too. Admittedly, that may not be everything Jusenkyo gave me. My skills and abilities have increased a lot over the last two years, including in areas Pops knows nothing about – I have a sneaky feeling some of that is the Jusenkyo payback."

"So what will you do now?" she asked him.

Ranma paused and then replied: "Well, now I'm aware of the changes and I'm at a point where I can choose who I want to be. So, my choices are I can go either back to being self-absorbed, 100% male, lose a portion of my skills, and hope I can re-build the empathy (without losing you and my friends) and the skills, or I can stay the way I am."

"And…" she prompted with a raised eyebrow.

"Akane, will you love me if I never get rid of the curse?" Ranma asked in a hopeful voice.

She raised her hand and tapped him hard on the forehead with her index finger. "Idiot! I've never known you any other way. I love you now, and I always will regardless of the 'curse'."

"Ow." He rubbed his forehead, but also looked relieved. He sighed and said: "I'm not setting foot in China again. The world doesn't need another Pops leaving disasters in his wake and I don't want to risk becoming him – what I have is too important. I'm becoming happy with who I am and where I am and I'm staying this way."

"Good!" Akane told him, also looking relieved. "Besides, I'd miss Ranko if she went away. You're a lot of fun in that form."

"Hey! I'm a lot of fun in any form!" he protested.

"This is true," she grinned at him. "Ranma, Ranko, or that silly cat."

They both laughed at that and continued the walk. "Well, you're going to be seeing a lot of all three I think," he told her. "I promised the Neko, I'd work on relaxing about things, and to accept the curse – I mean the shape-change – I have to let Ranko out to play more as well."

Akane commented: "You're talking like they are separate from you – that's not true. I think how you think about your other sides is part of what you have to change."

"Yeah, I do. To tell the truth, I already know that – it's not like someone else takes over when the girl or the cat shows up. I just have to get more comfortable when that part of myself comes to the front," Ranma acknowledged.

Akane nodded at his comment, and then made her own observation: "I have noticed you stopped stuttering at the word 'cat'…"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I still have problems with the real thing, but I'm working on it."

"I'm here if you need me," Akane told Ranma.

Ranma smiled as he looked at her. "I know that…" He pulled her to a stop and kissed her again. She felt his lips part and followed suit, deepening the kiss. It was a long time before they stopped.

After the kiss, they held each other silently for a while. Then Akane sighed and said, "Ah well, this is really nice, but I think we have to go back to reality."

Ranma looked as his watch and sighed as well. "Afraid so," he agreed. "But we are going to work on changing our reality."

"Sounds good," Akane replied pulling him into a walk. Just then, they heard a tremendous crash behind them. They turned around and saw that a huge tree branch had given away. There were three people trapped in the wreckage. The couple walked over quickly to see what had happened. As they approached, Akane had to work really hard to control her laughter. Sasuke, Alex the DJ, and Konatsu were tangled in the downed branches. There seemed to be a net and lots of rope also involved in the tangle.

Konatsu looked up at them. "Please tell me we didn't interrupt your First Kiss," he said with some exasperation.

Alex looked surprised at the ninja. "No, they did that on the dance floor fortunately," the DJ told Konatsu.

"Yes, thank heaven for small graces," Sasuke agreed quietly – but not quietly enough as he could tell from the couple's surprised expressions. The small ninja winced.

Ranma held the lower part of his face in his hands as he looked at Sasuke. Then he pulled his hands away to ask with only a little disbelief, "Sasuke, you came out here to watch over us?"

The little ninja looked a little embarrassed. "Well, more or less, yes."

"Surely Kuno didn't send you then?" Akane followed up.

"I'm really not supposed to tell you…" Sasuke started.

"Do you want cut out of this mess or not?" Akane pressed.

"Neither of the young masters sent me," Sasuke said resignedly.

"Well, I guarantee Pineapple-head didn't either," Ranma said firmly.

Alex looked at Susuke. "Toshio Kuno sent you?" Alex asked with surprise. Sasuke just sort of shrunk into himself, but didn't say anything.

"Who's he?" Ranma asked.

"He's the head of the Kuno family. The man who really calls the shots. Apparently, he's taken an interest in your welfare," Alex responded.

"I didn't tell you that!" Sasuke said with a bit of panic in his voice.

"Relax," Ranma told him. "We won't give you away." Sasuke sighed out his relief.

"And you," Akane addressed Konatsu. "I assume Ukyo didn't send you?"

Konatsu blushed. "Ah, no. She banished me from Nerima for the day. So I thought I'd check up on you two while she was chasing the trap and digging a hole for herself."

"I see. And what about you Mr. DJ?" Akane pressed.

"I was just out for a walk and saw these two following you. I got curious and followed along. They were fighting in this tree and I got too close. When the branches broke, I got caught up," the DJ answered.

"That's not true at all!" Sasuke burst out. "You attacked me with the ropes!"

"And you attacked me with the net!' Konatsu yelled at Sasuke. "Why the hell did you do that if we were on the same side?"

"I didn't know we were on the same side! You work for Ukyo!" Sasuke yelled back.

"Yeah, but Ranma and Akane are also my friends! I wouldn't hurt them!" Konatsu fired back.

"Well, I wouldn't either, I also like…" Sasuke shut his mouth quickly and blushed.

"We won't tell the Kunos that either, Sasuke" Akane told him with a smile on her face. The little ninja kept quiet.

"So, why did you attack Sasuke?" Konatsu asked Alex.

Alex pretended not to understand the question, but before he could voice his supposed confusion, Ranma answered for him: "Because the Doc warned him about you, Konatsu, but none of us knew about Sasuke."

"Who?" Alex asked.

"You know the Doc very well, Mr. DJ," Akane told him. Her hand shot out and stole Alex's hat. "Or should I say Daran?"

Alex's skin and hair immediately darkened. He also gained 30 centimeters in height. His flashy clothes changed to a worn leather jacket, jeans, boots, and a tough work shirt. "How the hell did you know?" he asked in a much deeper voice.

"The hat changes your appearance, but not your aura, Mr. Chauffeur," Ranma said and smirked. "You may want the boys in 'Q' lab to work on that."

"No comment," Daran answered. "Now can you please get us out of here?"

"I suppose," Akane smirked as well. "Especially, since the three of you didn't interrupt until Ranma and I decided it was time to go meet Daran." She had to stop herself again from laughing at the sighs of relief from all of them.

Akane was about to snap a large branch when someone called out to them. "Whoa, whoa! There's a much easier way!" A couple approached them that no one recognized. The man was very tall, and the woman was of medium height.

Ranma looked them up and down. "It's about time you two showed up!" he yelled at the approaching couple.

"Excuse me?" the woman asked.

"Oh, come on!" Akane exclaimed. "The candles were a dead giveaway you were about."

The couple shimmered and there was a popping sound. Hideo and Shizuka now walked toward them. "We must double-date like that again some time," Hideo told the couple. "You two have the most interesting evenings."

"Very funny," Ranma said. "You were expecting the Kitsunes?" he asked.

"I'd like to know about that too," Sasuke added. "I would have asked for overtime pay if I'd known about them ahead of time."

"Is that what the fox-children are called?" Konatsu asked. "They gave me a merry run-around for a few hours before I finally caught up with you two just before the pie fight…"

"No, we were not," Shizuka said. "If we had known there was a bunch of Kitsunes crashing the party, we would have moved to another venue."

"I was merely being prepared – and not all the true-seeing spells about were mine. There were other Mages about," Hideo informed them.

"Can we do this a little later?" Daran asked plaintively. "There's a branch in my back."

Hideo bent down and placed his hand on the brush pile. The pile began to shimmer with a pale green light. Akane swore she saw the branches move of their own accord. The three trapped men began to move and shift some of the branches off themselves. The rope was definitely moving by itself. The net seemed to peel off Konatsu and fold itself up. Finally, all three stood up and stepped out of the wreckage.

"Thank you, my friend," Daran said to Hideo as he stretched his back. Konatsu and Sasuke nodded thanks as well.

"Good. Now you three can help repair the tree," Hideo told them.

"Are you serious?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes," said Shizuka. "Trees that old deserve respect. Repairing it should keep you out of trouble for a bit."

"Hey, you know I'd love to help, but I got to get the kids home," Daran said insincerely. He looked at Ranma and Akane. "Come on, you two, let's get a move on!" He started to walk away, but Shizuka reached up, and grabbed the back of his jacket collar.

"The tree, Daran," she said. There was no leeway in her voice.

Daran sighed and looked at Hideo. "How do you live with her, man?"

"I do what I'm told," Hideo told him.

"Take a lesson, Ranma" Akane said to her boyfriend.

Ranma raised his eyebrows. "I'll obey you, when you start obeying me."

"Well, that will never happen," Konatsu commented. Akane gave the ninja a soft roundhouse kick to his backside. Konatsu didn't even bother to block it.

"Anyway," Shizuka said calling things to order. "Our couple is probably not going back to the dojo tonight – not the Tendo dojo anyway." Everyone (except Hideo) looked surprised at her. "The last word I got from Nabiki was that Nodoka and Genma were set up in the front yard waiting for Ranma and Akane. Best guess is that they will try and drag them off to an all-night chapel or temple – We have a plan to deal with Ranma's parents, but we need them nice and tired."

Ranma sighed. "Is it too late to be declared an orphan?" he asked. Akane just gave him a one-armed squeeze.

Shizuka continued: "Kasumi told me that the trap is almost complete. The assorted pests are storming the last level as we speak." She cut off Konatsu before he spoke: "She's fine, lad. Stubborn, but fine. And she will stay that way. But, she's also in for a surprise too that may knock some sense into her. The thing is, we won't know the best way to proceed until after the last domino has fallen. So, you four," sweeping her hand over all the men but Ranma, "go fix the tree. You two," indicating Ranma and Akane, "go take another walk around the lake. Your date just got some bonus time. I'll man the phone and wait for Kasumi."

Ranma was the first to comment, "Don't have to tell me twice." He picked up Akane in his arms and walked away over her half-hearted protests.

Daran sighed again. Hideo slapped him on the back. "Relax," he told Daran, "we are going to cheat."

Daran brightened. "Now that sounds promising."

The two ninjas just shrugged at each other and followed the other two men.

* * *

Shizuka walked down the path calling the couple's names. A mischievous part of her wanted to catch them unawares, but she also wanted to keep their trust. About halfway around the lake, she heard them answer and found them sitting on a bench, Akane in Ranma's lap. She was amused that they trusted her enough not to separate immediately. "Come along. Nerima's a mess and it's heading this way. Tatewaki Kuno has a ring of ninjas on the streets leading to the dojo. It's definitely Plan B. Daran and Konatsu are going to ditch the car and then tend to other matters. Hideo is going to drive the rest of us back to Nerima with Sasuke riding guard position on the motor bike he borrowed."

As the couple rose, Akane asked, "So where are Ranma and I going to sleep tonight?"

"Well chaperoned," was Shizuka's only answer as she took each by the arm with a small smile.

* * *

Shizuka moved the passenger side mirror until she could see the young couple in the back of the van. The seat was along the side of the van, allowing Hideo to use much of the space to store goods for deliveries. Ranma and Akane were sitting next to each other, belted in securely. Somehow, they were still managing to kiss. Shizuka had a small smile on her face – at least until Hideo pressed a knuckle into her thigh.

"Put that back, Ms. Voyeur. I need it to drive," he said quietly.

"Spoilsport," she told her husband.

As she adjusted the mirror back, she caught a glimpse of something unusual in the opposing travel lanes. She thought for a few seconds, and then asked her husband quietly so as not to disturb the couple: "Hideo, did you just see two women clinging to the top of a limousine going in the other direction?"

"Did one of the women have purple hair?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"Then I didn't see a thing," he replied.

"Neither did I," she agreed.

"Although I am happy I removed the advertising placard from the side of the van before we started out this evening," he added.

* * *

Ranko left the bathroom wearing a set of pajamas Kasumi had packed for her. They had to be rolled up a little, but that was fine. As she walked into the living room, she saw Akane pushing the futons together over Shizuka's mild objections.

"Ahem," Ranko said as she walked in.

Shizuka's eyebrows rose as she uttered the word "Cheats."

"We will keep to our own sleeping bags, Shizuka," Akane told the older woman, "But this is a chance to cuddle we are not going to get for a while."

"Besides," Sasuke added from the couch about four meters away where he set himself up, "I'm going to be in the room with them, and I'll be reading most of the night." He held up a book on herbs he had borrowed from Hideo with a reading light attached. "And do you really think those two are ready for anything but cuddling?"

Shizuka looked at both young women turning deep red and gave up. "Oh, all right, I trust you. Don't let me down." She turned to Sasuke. "You'll be fine on the couch?" she asked.

"Oh yeah. No issues. It beats standing on the window ledge all night," he said with some amusement.

"I'm sorry your assignment doesn't end until sunrise, Sasuke," Akane told him.

"I'm not. This promises to be very comfortable," he replied.

"And we get to put you to good use," Shizuka told him with a smile. There was light laughter at the comment.

Hideo walked in. "All right everyone, it's bedtime. Tomorrow promises to be interesting." He killed the lights as Ranko and Akane climbed into their sleeping bags. Then Akane settled into Ranko's arms. Shizuka watched them for a minute and then left the room.

She went into her own bedroom and climb into bed with her husband. "I suppose it is all right," she told her husband.

"They are just going to hold each other, Shizuka. Sasuke's right, they are not ready for anything else. Besides, you're not going to find a better chaperone."

Shizuka just grinned. She wanted to see Nodoka claim anything could have happened now…

* * *

Sasuke listened to the two young women snoring quietly and laughed to himself. "'Will I be fine on the couch?' she asks me," he thought to himself. "A soft couch, snacks, drinks, a stack of books, and I get to watch over two exhausted teenagers who would actually listen to me. *Definitely* an easy gig," he chuckled. He picked up the book and resumed reading.

* * *

A/N: You've just read the only (near) encounter with the Fiancee Brigade that will happen in this story. To find out more about them, you'll have to read "The Date: The Flip Side"

We will finish the "A" side next week with two short Epilogues. For those who cannot wait - Ranma and Akane get away clean, Tomo does not (you'll have to wait for the details). See you then!


	10. Epilogue I

Epilogue I: The Morning After

Soun sat with his two eldest daughters and the Saotome adults, trying his hardest not to ask questions. Tofu hadn't put in an appearance – Kasumi mentioned that he had house guests and she was planning to visit them after breakfast. Nabiki was sitting quietly looking through the morning paper, a serious frown on her face as she studied the financial pages. Kasumi had her ever-present smile, although he would swear there was a slight twinkle of mischief in her eyes (a most unusual thing) as she looked at him. He took that as a good sign that everything had worked well last night, but he was still worried about his youngest daughter and where she and his son-in-law-to-be were.

The Saotomes looked very out of sorts though. Genma looked extremely depressed, almost like his world had ended. When Soun questioned him, Genma only stated that he did not sleep well last night. Given that Soun knew Genma had been up most of the night, Soun wasn't surprised. Nodoka looked very worried, but she also looked determined, something that troubled Soun greatly – he hoped Kasumi had a plan. Suddenly, from outside, he heard a loud measured "Hut! Hut! Hut!"

He saw that Kasumi's eyes definitely sparkled as she got up and went to the door. As she opened it, Shizuka jogged into the house, sweating and wearing her usual grey gi. Right behind her was Akane in her yellow gi and Ranma wearing the new blue gi he had recently adopted. As they all entered the main room, Shizuka jogged in place while Ranma and Akane collapsed into some chairs. "Wimps!" Shizuka scolded them. "We only ran one marathon length."

"Slave driver!" the two teens shot back making the older woman smile.

Nodoka paused in shock for a minute, and then remembered her plan: "All right! Both of you get cleaned up. We need to get down to the temple immediately. It isn't proper for a couple to spend all night unsupervised, and it isn't proper for them to spend all night at a love-hotel either. You're getting married today."

"What?" exclaimed Akane. "Love-hotel?" Ranma just looked very confused.

Shizuka looked indignant. "Excuse me! While I admit my husband and I can be enthusiastic, I hardly think that my dojo or his florist shop qualify as a love-hotel."

Nodoka did a double-take. "Excuse me?"

Kasumi decided to step in at that point. "Oh, didn't I mention it? Given all the chaos around here yesterday, I had Akane and Ranma stay with Shizuka and Hideo last night." She turned to Shizuka: "I hope they didn't inconvenience you."

Shizuka shook her head. "Oh, please. They were the perfect and proper houseguests," she said emphasizing the word "proper" while looking directly at Nodoka. "When I got them up at 7AM to start working out, they promptly rolled up their sleeping bags and futons and came down to the dojo with me." No one missed the plurals she added to the sentence.

Nodoka looked surprised. "But…but..but, I thought…"

"MOM!" Ranma called out in shock. "Really?"

Akane cut in then: "We went out on a date, that's all. How could you think so little of us?"

"We are not married and we are under age. I respect Akane too much to treat her honor so shabbily. It would be unmanly to act so," Ranma added, catching the sparkle in Akane's eye when he said the word "respect", something he filed away for later use.

Nodoka seemed to deflate and said nothing. Akane accepted the sign of defeat and switched to a new battle. "I call bath!" she yelled, leaping out of the chair and running towards the bathroom.

"Oh, no you don't Tomboy!" Ranma answered leaping after her. They all heard her answering raspberry, the bathroom door slamming shut, and Ranma's muttered curses. But, when he reappeared again and marched up to his room (after thanking Shizuka for her hospitality), he didn't look all that upset though. In fact, it was plain he was hiding a smile.

"Didn't they just run a marathon?" quizzed Soun.

"Yes, and I had a hard time keeping up with them as they constantly tried to outdo each other, but please don't tell them that," Shizuka commented. "You should be very proud of them." A car horn beeped twice outside. "That's Hideo – We are meeting with his parents for lunch, so I need to get home and clean up. I'll leave the kids' bags outside the door."

"Thanks for watching over them, Shizuka," Kasumi said to her as she walked Shizuka to the door.

Shizuka waved her hand dismissingly. "As I said, they're no trouble at all." Then she dropped her voice a bit. "You did a good job with both of them." She gave Kasumi a wink and left.

Kasumi turned around and strode back into the room. Nodoka now looked as depressed as her husband. Soun looked relieved as he helped himself to more bacon. Only Kasumi could see Nabiki's smirk hidden behind the paper. With everything as it should be, Kasumi sat down to finish her breakfast – she wanted to go help Tofu with his zoo as soon as possible.


	11. Epilogue II

Epilogue II: And the last

Tomo stood in the center of the Elders' Chambers sweating bullets. The Elders had been interrogating everyone involved in the battle at the Complex. He already knew that the initial six who started the whole mess were severely punished. They would be working the mines of Absolom for the next three years in the kitchens there (they were too young for the mines themselves and the Elders hoped it would throw a good scare into them). Many of their followers would be harvesting fruit on the plains of Glowsdown – not horrible, but they had to do it for no pay, just room and board. The Johnny-come-lately's like himself were being evaluated on a case-by-case basis. He had spoken to Toc and Kim and they told him they had been sentenced to one month at Glowsdown – much to their relief.

Tomo had just spent the last two hours getting the grilling of his young life. It didn't help that Lord Tofu was also in the Chamber sitting on the side with a grim face. Above him, four of the Elders sat on their high bench staring down at him. Not a word was said out loud, but Tomo was wise enough to know that they were speaking mind-to-mind about his fate. The South Elder then cleared his throat: "Tomo, since you had command of the host, why didn't you lead them away once your Brothers and Sisters were set free?"

Tomo thought for a second and then answered: "Some of it was for pride…" he started.

"Some?" the West Elder asked.

"Some," Tomo admitted. "But most of it was that I needed to fix what we Kitsunes had done to the humans."

"Explain," stated the South Elder.

"We had invaded their Sanctuary. For many of the humans, this was the only place they could find any peace. And we Kitsunes had taken it away from them. Their Sanctuary was now a battleground. I had to give it back – to show that their supposed enemies were not really their enemies. The only way I could do that was with laughter."

"You took a big chance," growled Lord Tofu.

"Not really, sir. These people wanted to laugh. They needed to laugh. They wanted their Sanctuary back. That included your two apprentices, sir," Tomo replied.

There was silence in the Chamber for several minutes. Finally, the North Elder spoke: "Lord Tofu, do you have anything you want to say to the Chamber or this Kitsune before we pronounce our verdict?"

Lord Tofu growled menacingly and began a slow deliberate walk toward Tomo. Tomo gulped and hoped he wasn't about to be the youngest ever sentenced to mine in Absolom or the first without a paw or two. Lord Tofu stopped directly in front of Tomo and stared down at him.

***SPLAT****

Tofu looked back up at the Elders: "No, I'm good."

The Elders nodded at him and at each other, their expressions warming several degrees. The North Elder said: "All right. The Court has noted that Sentencing has been Passed and Completed in full. Court is adjourned."

The Elders came down and joined Tofu convivially as he was walking out the door. One of them dope-slapped Tofu saying: "And I'll thank you to stop spreading rumors about the Elders. Honestly, who would ever believe that we'd sentence children anywhere near Absolom." The other Elders and Tofu laughed as they walked away.

Back in the Chamber, a lone young Kitsune stood at its center covered in banana cream pie. He fell backwards in shock, and actually bounced once or twice on the floor. A few minutes past and a grin slowly formed on his face as his body relaxed. A chuckle started deep down inside and slowly turned into laughter as it rose. The laughter rose in volume until the cream-covered little creature finally leaped into the air and crowed in victory.

* * *

A/N:

And so ends side "A" of "The Date". Thank you all for reading this. I would also like to thank the reviewers who took the time to offer encouragement including: supermangageek23, Richard Ryley, gort240, caia-chan, James Birdsong, TL, JWG, Leoness, Eise Veronique A. Ephrem, Wharpt, Compucles (and special thanks for catching the errors), tuatara, jdcocoagirl, NPP6, SuzyQ001, MissSweetB13, Flameraven1, Miaka Kiri, and anyone I might of missed. Hopefully, I'll see you all on the "Flip Side".

Take care!

Skystrider

* * *

Warning: Only read past here if you care about the "ever-changing genome" plot point…

* * *

Are you sure?

* * *

O.K. You were warned….

* * *

For those who care (only a couple of handfuls – even so I was amazed at the number), the ever-changing genome part of the plot is dead. I made a small change to the appropriate wording in Chapter 8 to eliminate it since it is not important to this story. While many tried unsuccessfully (and some improperly I might add) to slay the beast, one valiant Lady (She Who Must Not Be Named – and I hope that's not someone's pen name) persisted through a few iterations to demonstrate that it broke "canon" and hence must be vanquished from the Board. Again, for those that care, she used the character of Rouge as the basis for her successful argument. I will update the background info in my Profile to reflect this.

To the Lady: I salute you and look forward to our next duel. The completed one was most satisfying (and I didn't mention your pen named as promised).

To those who rudely insist that my Engineering degrees came out of a box of Cracker Jack and I wouldn't recognize a gene sequencer if it fell on me: I'm working on a story just for you - "When Natural Laws Come to Nerima." You may find it enlightening to see how physics really works (Sorry, I don't do defense very well…).

Take care!

P.S. In case it isn't obvious, the last paragraph is tongue-in-cheek; I have been out in the working world for over twenty-five years - my skin is a lot thicker than that.


End file.
